Alana Makarius: Household Connection as Service Provider and Wealth Creator

In Mikongi village located in Mandwanga ward of Mtama District Council, residents for a long time faced the challenge of lacking a of sanitation and hygiene facilities at the village centre, especially in the market area leading to open defecation in hidden areas at the market or nearby bushes. Unhygienic environment contributed to frequent outbreaks of stomach illnesses such as diarrhoea, cholera, bilharzia and vomiting.

Alana Makarius, a mother of three and a resident of Mikongi recognized this challenge and took it upon herself to find a solution. With a clear vision and deep concern for her community’s wellbeing, she developed the idea of establishing a public sanitation and hygiene facility at the village centre. Her husband, Alfred Nanyanga, stood by her side and supported her efforts to bring the project to life.

The Mikongi village Market

Alana’s improved toilet at the village centre

Alana, with Alfred’s support, built a public improved toilet at the marketplace to serve traders, people far from their homes and visitors. At the time, their family relied on a rainwater well at home about 300 meters from the market area. During dry seasons water would run out forcing them to buy it from distant sources especially by sending people to fetch it from the valleys that was neither clean nor safe. On many days the toilet had to be closed due to lack of water, creating discomfort and health risks for market users. Maintaining cleanliness was a constant struggle.

“Sometimes we had to close the toilet for days,” Alana recalls. “There was simply no water to keep it clean.”

Alana drawing water from the tap outside her toilet

Back then, the toilet service cost Tsh 500 ($0.20), and due to frequent closures, Alana earned only about Tsh 15,000 per week ($6). There was no bathing facility and the limited income made it difficult to sustain operations.

When DMDO introduced clean water to her village in 2024, Alana initially fetched water from public distribution points using a prepaid system. Though safer it was still inconvenient. With determination and Alfred’s help, she managed to connect the water directly to the toilet facility on February 2025, a project that cost her Tsh 330,000 ($127) to connect water at the doorstep of the toilet which included the fittings and pipes and the prepaid meter was provided by the DMDO being among the pilot HH connection prepaid water meters.

“It was a big investment,” she says, “but I knew it would change everything.”

Today, the toilet has been upgraded with four stalls and it now offers both toilet and bathing services, Tsh 300 for toilet use and Tsh 500 for bathing. With reliable access to water Alana earns nearly three times the income compared to before (from $6 to $16), without reliable access.

Alana Makarius carrying water to the toilet for her customers

Beyond personal gain, Alana’s project has helped transform the market environment. The constant availability of water and sanitation services has significantly improved hygiene conditions for traders and visitors, creating a cleaner, safer and more dignified space for everyone.

 “Thanks to DMDO, my family and the whole community can now access clean water whenever we need it,” Alana says gratefully. “It has made our lives so much easier, especially for those working at the market.”

This steady revenue allows Alana to support her household and contribute to their cashew farming activities including purchasing pesticides and school supplies for their children. Alfred proudly supports her efforts and together they’ve improved both their family’s livelihood and the market’s hygiene standards

Alana’s story offers inspiration, that with vision, support and essential resources, it’s possible to create lasting change. By turning a challenge into an opportunity, Alana has shown how local action can contribute to poverty eradication and build healthier and more dignified futures for all being catalysed by reliable water access in the community premises.

The graph shows water consumption at Alana’s public tap at the centre of Mikongi from Jan to Sep 2025 where the usage has significantly increased compared to previous months as customers are using the toilet more now due to the availability of reliable water.