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Joseph Madzimure
Senior Reporter
Dr Hamadziripi Dube of Mberengwa East is a medical practitioner with a difference.
After realising that some of the diseases people in his area present with at the local clinics were related to lack of portable water, he decided to correct issues from the source.
The 39-year-old Dr Hamadziripi has embarked on rehabilitation of boreholes in his rural area as a way to provide the much-needed clean water to the community and ensure that water-borne diseases are curtailed.
His ambition is also driven by President Mnangagwa’s mantra, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”, which encourages locals to take charge of developmental issues in their regions in line with the spirit of devolution.
So far, Dr Hamadziripi has rehabilitated more than 10 boreholes at Mbuya Nehanda, Ward 6, in Mberengwa East.
President Mnangagwa recently launched the Presidential Borehole Scheme meant to provide clean water to the people in line with aspiration to achieve Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy.
In response to the President’s call, Dr Dube is geared to support the rural communities in accessing clean water.
Ms Leona Moyo from Mbuya Nehanda commended the efforts being made by Dr Dube, saying locals should give back to their communities.
“We really appreciate the efforts being done by Dr Dube, one of our own,” she said. “He is rehabilitating boreholes to ensure the community has access to clean water. This is commendable. He spent most of his spare time here serving the community.
“We are now living a better life considering that we will be having clean and safe water near us.”
Mr Same Hove, who also hails from Mbuya Nehanda, complimented the efforts made by Dr Dube saying the rehabilitation of boreholes in the community was a move in the right direction.
“We are calling upon the local communities to embrace the good works by Dr Dube,” he said.
Some of the boreholes in the area had been drilled by the World Vision and the District Development Fund, but they were no longer functioning and required rehabilitation.
Dr Dube said his aim was to rehabilitate non-functional boreholes and to drill more boreholes to ensure the community had access to clean water.
“We aim to rehabilitate dysfunctional boreholes to compliment President Mnangagwa’s efforts,” he said. “Access to water by rural communities will also go a long way in improving sanitation and hygiene, which are also critical in the country’s ongoing fight against the spread of Covid-19.
“This is very important as water is a key priority in a society. My target is to sink at least two boreholes per village to ensure safe and clean water is accessible to the villagers.”
Dr Dube said there were more than 30 dysfunctional boreholes, with more than 100 families travelling long distances to fetch water for domestic consumption.
“People from my community are fetching water from unprotected sources for domestic use,” he said. “I grew up in rural areas here in Mahindi, Buchwa. Recently, I moved around Mberengwa East constituency and realised that more than 60 boreholes belonging to DDF and World Vision were down, hence requiring maintenance.
“As a health personnel, I decided to engage the community in repairing all these boreholes to restore clean water supply to the people. So, I started with boreholes in Mbuya Nehanda Ward 6 in Mberengwa. I am actually using my own resources to pay the pump minders who spend their whole special time repairing the boreholes.”
The Herald witnessed villagers in Mbuya Nehanda in jubilation while fetching water from some of the resuscitated boreholes.
“So far I have repaired more than 10 boreholes in Mbuya Nehanda,” said Dr Dube. “I am pushing to get more resources and proceed with the programme. People in rural areas deserve clean water, so am responding to the President’s call to go back to the community.
“I am working with the communities to ensure they have access to clean water. People are forthcoming.”
Dr Dube urged Zimbabweans who are in diaspora to invest back home.
“There are plenty of opportunities here in Zimbabwe, let’s invest in our country instead of living as slaves in foreign land,” he said. “Zimbabwe is Open for Business.”
In some of the areas, he said, there was need to drill new boreholes and installing new pumping systems.
“I am aiming to install solar powered boreholes,” said Dr Dube. “I am appealing to those with resources to come on board and invest in our communities. Those willing to partner with us are welcome.”
The borehole drilling programme is in line with the country’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which charts policies, institutional reforms and national priorities needed between 2021 and 2025 to attain an upper middle-income economy under Vision 2030.
As part of promoting the economic development agenda, the Second Republic is rationalising the 14 priority areas in the NDS1 and implementing them in a phased approach to derive maximum benefits.
The borehole drilling programme is expected to spur the empowerment of rural women and the youths as well as support projects that promote food security.
Online Reporter