Sizolwethu Mobile Health
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The project sought to improve the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) situation in schools so as to address the risk of water-borne diseases through the provision of clean water. The geographical focus of the intervention was Matabeleland South and Midlands Province with specific focus in Bulilima and Vungu Rural District Councils respectively. Rehabilitation is the action taken to repair a borehole whose productivity has declined or that has failed through a lack of proper monitoring and maintenance of the pump and/or well structure. This is often a financial problem or a logistical one. Surface pumps, such as hand-pumps, often fail for purely mechanical reasons – broken rods or corroded risers, for instance – and disused boreholes silt up or have objects dropped into them. Existing boreholes are likely to be well suited in terms of usage since they must originally have been drilled for a purpose. Therefore, it is usually advantageous to rehabilitate them. The target of the project was to rehabilitate 8 boreholes but 11 boreholes were eventually rehabilitated for the project.
Independent evaluation and experience from Cosmos representative –
Shirley Smyth on the Borehole Rehabilitation Project in Midlands and Mat. South 2019/2020 Plumtree Borehole rehabilitation project. Today was handover day for two water bore rehabilitation projects at schools in Plumtree, approx 140 kms south west of Bulawayo. It was an exciting culmination of the project for these schools which are 2 of 8 initially included in the current project. In fact with good management the funds have stretched to rehabilitate 11 boreholes for schools. This is a story of partnership with a great result. Water is such a basic need but for these schools it has been in very short supply.
Back in Perth, Western Australia generous donors have given money to Cosmos, which has been passed on to Sizolwethu Health Trust, based in Bulawayo, where Shelta Masina has coordinated the project... and then, in consultation with the Minister of Education, 11 needy schools were identified to participate. These schools all have previously had functioning boreholes, which have become dilapidated and non functioning over several years. For one of today's schools the bore had been out of commission for 5 years, and for another, twelve months. This had required the 280 students from Mathambo School to walk 5 kms to the closest water source every day to bring water back to cater for the students' needs, including keeping the toilets working and clean. At the Malopa Dam Primary School, a council run school for 330 students, while without the bore they needed to get water from the river, about 1 km away
At present that is a dry river bed and a huge hole has been dug into the river bed to reach water. The school head teacher told us it makes a huge difference to the school to be able to use the bore again. Under supervision of Sizo personnel, local Council staff have provided the labour required to repair the bores, making use of the parts purchased with the funding. They have been taught how to maintain the equipment, in co operation with school staff and students. All are eagerly waiting for the arrival of good rains to plant new gardens in newly prepared plots. There was a real sense of celebration with singing and dancing as the project was handed over complete in these schools. Further opportunities are open, too, for Sizolwethu to follow up with health education sessions in the new year. This adds great value in educating and inspiring kids to be working towards a happy and bright future. Many thanks to all the partners who are part of this project. It brings great hope and encouragement to whole communities to receive the gift of life, through water.
Footnote : This day was not without its sadness, however, as drought and other influences have ravaged this arid, rural part of Zimbabwe and we saw hungry young children, and schools struggling to survive as families are unable to afford fees in the present difficult economic environment.