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Lisa Shirichena Herald Reporter
Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, in conjunction with Plan International, installed a water reticulation system worth $112 000 at three education and health institutions in Manicaland recently.
The system installed at Mwoyoweshumba Primary School, Mwoyoweshumba Secondary School and Mutasa Clinic is expected to address the community’s challenge in accessing safe drinking water.
The two partners financed the water supply project and installed the reticulation system, including the construction of girls’ bath and shower rooms, two concrete water tanks, two boreholes and a modern water piping system.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mutasa Rural District Council senior human resource and administration officer Fredrick Jongwe commended the funders for ending the challenge of water at the schools and the clinic.
“This has come at a time when the quality of education for children had gone down because they spend more time fetching water than learning,” he said.
Coca-Cola regional franchise manager Honest Marandu said the project was designed to address basic human needs, while promoting health, education, sanitary environment and rural infrastructure.
“A sufficient quantity of safe, accessible water from sustainable supplies is essential to health of communities and this handover ceremony will mark a key milestone of the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN)’s project,” he said.
“The world’s water challenges are too large to be addressed by one organisation, we shall continue to drive progress through a golden triangle partnership approach which brings together governments, civil society and businesses to encourage a systematic water management around the world.”
Plan International Zimbabwe programme support manager Mr Zvidzai Chidhakwa said they were honoured to help implement the project which would ensure access to clean water for 7 000 people in Mutasa district.
“Access to safe water supply and sanitation services means children will spend more time in school, children, teachers and community members will have improved health standards and rights of women and girls will be advanced,” he said.
From 1984 to 2004, Mwoyoweshumba Primary and Secondary schools accessed water from an unprotected water source through a mechanical system that uses hydro-pressure to convey water from the source to an uphill water holding tank.
The system proved too costly to maintain and was abandoned.
Online Reporter