Shamva District Council has teamed up with the community in a bid to revamp Madziva Mine Primary’s water facility, ending a 21-year water problem.
By Elson Tazvitya
The school’s water woes started in 2000 when Bindura Nickel Company (BNC) the benefactor was collapsing, leaving the area with no funder for the water project.
In addition, the school’s water pipes were timeworn. No organisation had pledged to service them – worsening when the company liquidated in 2001. Teachers and pupils were struggling to get clean drinking water.
“Every day I would ensure my child carries a two-litre bottle of water to school,” said Pedzisai Chindenga, a parent.
Nonetheless, Shamva North Ward 16 Councillor, Coswell Kagogoda says he has been soliciting donations from the community and corporate world.
“We received our first help from Umpfurudzi Game park,” Councillor Kagogoda said. “They permitted the school to fetch water from their supply. It was temporary so, we kept on looking for help.”
He also said the game park will collect proceeds from local miners within its area to aid the water project.
Kagogoda thanked the community for aiding the water project. He said the school received 234 water pipes from a donor in the community. This was a shot in the arm for the school which had already bought 40 pipes to kickstart the water project.
Prior, the school received two 5000 litre tanks from Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
he said when the project was initiated in October 2020, It was temporarily abandoned due to a clash with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). This is because it was carried out without consultation from the authority.
The school’s headmaster, Nathan Munemo expressed gratitude for the willingness of the community to partake in the water project.
“Parents have without hesitation equally involved themselves in the development of the school,” he said. “The school was using water from a nearby stream, Gwambiza River. Streams are not reliable as they can get dry up summer.”
Over 180,000 children under the age of 5 die annually from drinking contaminated water, in Sub-Saharan Africa. This translates to 500 deaths a day, says a report by United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF).
Environmental Health Technician, Rodgers Chitengu says unsafe water causes communicable diseases.
“Diarrheal diseases like cholera, typhoid usually affects places with poor sanitation.’
