The Sunday News
Richard Muponde, Plumtree Correspondent
VILLAGERS from Bulilima District heaved a sigh of relief when Bulilima Rural District Council working with an American donor, Pepfar set up a $60 000 tap water project in Bambadzi, easing perennial water shortages in the area.
The donor, under the banner of United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) has been implementing comprehensive HIV programmes in Zimbabwe since 2006 through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).
The project which was completed last week, and is still to be commissioned was implemented by Oxfam, which was given the custody of the fund working together with the RDC under Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme. Water was being drawn from an old borehole, which used to be run by a diesel engine and later manually after the engine became obsolete.
Pepfar, touched by the plight of the villagers who faced acute water problems as more than 2 200 people were relying on the water source, provided funding for the setting up of a solar-powered water pump.
The pipes covered a distance of 10 kilometres and five tap points were established and three 10 000 litre-tanks were hoisted to store water.
In an interview, Bulilima RDC social services officer, Ms Sifiso Dube said the project came as a shot in the arm for Bambadzi villagers who were facing perennial water problems.
“We are very grateful for our people as they were facing water problems. Some were travelling distances of over five kilometres to fetch water for domestic use and watering their livestock. Pepfar working with Oxfam as the country’s implementing agency set up the water project,” said Ms Dube.
She said the project was completed last week and the burden of villagers has become a thing of the past as they were now fetching water at their doorstep.
“We established five tap points so that water comes closer to villagers. We have three reservoir tanks, which have a carrying capacity of 10 000 litres each. These are fitted with water meters so that villagers get to know their water consumption per month and also monitor leaks,” she said.
She said the water was also connected to a primary school and a clinic in the area.
Bambadzi senior village head, Mr Tahla Ndlovu said they were very grateful to donors for the project, which has come as a relief for villagers.
@richardmuponde
