This study assessed the influence of culture on sustainability of donor funded water projects (DFWPs) implemented by the World Vision Tanzania in Ngerengere Division, in the five selected villages. It specifically focused on status of infrastructures of World Vision water project facilities in relation to: conceptions of community members about DFWPs sustainability, management approaches to make Ngerengere community participate in sustaining DFWPs, and cultural practices which influence sustainability of DFWPs in Ngerengere Division. The survey research design was used. The purposive and quota sampling techniques were employed to obtain a sample of 65 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion (FDGs), observation and documentary review methods. The study ascertained that World vision constructed about 27 pumped wells out of which only 11 wells are functioning at present. The non-functional wells were abandoned and regarded to be beyond repair by the villagers‟ efforts. Only two wells out the functioning wells were properly maintained hygienically. The water project lasted for 20 years under four phases (19952015).This status is linked to: community conceptions that DFWPs are an assistance given to transform their prevailing difficulties especially in access to water services. Though78% of the respondents have an attitude that DFWPs was of great importance and a privilege to the villages; behaviour wise, 78% of the respondents preferred taped water to river. This is contrary to findings from interview and FDGs which showed that the community prefers water from the river to taped water from wells with reasons that water from the river are reliable, cheap and saltless soft water. Traditionally people were not accustomed to care for a public property like the pumped wells .It was further found that The World vision involved the community in the project design (especially in baseline survey) by 96% and it used participatory approaches like meetings with leaders, trainings and sensitization of water safety. Despite the use of these approaches, community participation volunteerism during implementation was 64% as a result WV performed all activities by its workers letting the community being simple observer recipients. This was attributed to cultural practices i.e. customs and traditions that hinder community attributes of sustaining DFWPs such as mind set, people behaviours, and local innovation. The dependence syndrome and laissez-fair leadership characters on individual behaviours caused the community to be less adaptive to projects development. The study concluded that culture influences sustainability of water projects. The study recommends imploring efforts to ensure involvement of the community during implementation phase possibly through capacity building/more awareness raising. The importance of monitoring of the projects should not be underestimated to determine the complexities associated with implementation and foster sustainability.

A Dissertation Submitted to the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Award of Masters of Science in Development Policy (MSc. DP) of Mzumbe University