Basics: In January 2014, WRAP undertook its fourth project: a rain barrel harvesting system at the Tuba Zangaria school in northern Israel. Tuba Zangaria, is a middle school serving 387 Arab Israeli/Palestinian boys and girls located in Tuba Zangaria, a Bedouin village with a population of 6,500.
Details: At the Tuba Zangaria Middle School, collected rainwater from WRAP’s system is used for the school’s toilet flushing. As part of the environmental education program, the students have planted a school garden, and the students have taken ownership over the program.
Results: The students at Tuba Zangaria have maintained the 12,000 liter rainwater system and reported rain water data since December 2014. All of the school’s toilets receive water from the system, and the data collected show that from December 2014 to April 2016 the system has supplied over 114,000 L of water, which equates to about half of the water required by the school.
The students also received second prize in a national science competition in 2015 for their project on the rainwater harvesting system.
The project is also helping to provide a framework for students from Bedouin and Jewish populations to meet and better understand one another’s culture heritage. A local educator working with WRAP has also held several educational cultural exchange activities with students from the Eynot Yarden partner school around concepts of rainwater harvesting and environmental science.
How it’s possible: WRAP financed the entirety of system construction and maintenance through its member contributions and donations. Partners in the area and in the school will continue implementing the environmental education program.
