Chronicle Editor
Nothando Zondo, Sunday News Reporter
THE painful distances that women and girls in Pyramids community in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province used to walk to access water are now a thing of the past as Campfire drilled and solarised a borehole that will serve more than 90 households.
The borehole drilling and solarisation project is part of efforts by Campfire – a conservation programme that aims to empower communities to manage and benefit from their natural resources.
In an interview with Sunday News, Bubi District Campfire (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) officer, Mr Nkosilomusa Mlilo said the borehole drilling was done using funds from the grazing project while the solar equipment was done through funds from the elephant trophy fees from Nengasha Safaris.
“This project was done at a cost of more than US$6 000 and will benefit more than 90 households. It has greatly reduced the distance that was being travelled by this village (Pyramid community) to access water.
“One of CAMPFIRE’s objectives is to give communities ownership and control over their natural resources and generate income that will benefit people through eco-tourism and resource sales,” said Mr Mlilo.
He said Campfire has contributed significantly to the development of communities in Bubi. Some of the projects that were done in recent years include purchasing a tractor and trailer, construction of a community hall, procuring materials for school construction and furniture, as well as roofing trusses for a classroom block using trophy fees for Mambo village.
Ward Six Councillor, Mr Alson Ntini said the community was excited about the solarised pumping system saying the manual pumping of water was now a thing of the past.
“Amidst the prevailing El Nino-induced drought that is affecting the country, the water sources in Bubi are drying up, making the competition between animals and humans for water even stiffer. The solarised borehole system comes at a time when it is most needed throughout the country and seeing initiatives like these complementing President Mnangagwa’s vision is quite encouraging.
“The water table has gone too low and the boreholes have been deepened making manual pumping impossible for the elderly and girl teenagers who are culturally assigned these roles. We are happy that the solar-powered system will make it easier for everyone to draw water,” said Mr Ntini.
President Mnangagwa has been at the forefront of the initiative to ensure easy access to water by the communities.
He has reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to drill 35 000 boreholes in the country’s 35 000 villages from where a number of projects will sprout empowering communities and living true to his leaving no one and no place behind development philosophy.
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