Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
IN a remarkable milestone, Mtshabezi Village in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province has been officially certified as an open defecation-free (ODF) area.
This achievement comes after the successful implementation of a Water and Sanitation Hygiene (Wash) programme, which has empowered community members to construct latrines and improve sanitation practices.
The Wash programme, designed to enhance water, sanitation and hygiene standards, has been instrumental in transforming the village’s sanitary conditions.
Community members actively participated in the initiative by constructing latrines, ensuring proper waste disposal and promoting hygiene education. The villagers have also established hand-washing points outside their ablution facilities.
Mr Charles Nyoni, chairperson of the Zenzele Sanitation Action Group (SAG), said the first phase of the project targeted 78 homesteads, with 30 of them initially lacking ablution facilities.
The leading group has since rolled out a programme to educate community members on the importance of such facilities. Mr Nyoni said out of those homesteads, 30 of them did not have ablution facilities.
He said the leading group has now rolled out a programme to educate community members on the importance of ablution facilities.
The programme was implemented by Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH) under the Enhanced Resilience for Vulnerable Households in Zimbabwe (ERVHIZ). The project also included the construction of ablution facilities at Sibona Secondary and Gwakwe Primary School.
“It was realised in our community that there were some people who didn’t have toilets and some community members were selected to form a Sanitation Action Group (SAG) to address this problem. We identified homes that didn’t have ablution facilities and our development partner WHH assisted some vulnerable people with resources to build latrines,” said Mr Nyoni.
“The rest of the community members mobilised resources to build toilets and the response was very good. Those who already had toilets set up hand washing points. Our community has been educated on the importance of not only establishing ablution facilities but keeping them clean.”
Ms Sikhangezile Moyo, who is the vice chairperson of the Sanitation Action Group, said their group was first trained by environmental health technicians. She said there has been a significant improvement since the project started.
“It was almost impossible to trudge through the bushes without coming across human waste, but that has changed now. People used to overlook the issue of building toilets as they would build beautiful houses but leaving out ablution facilities,” she said.
“This programme has also helped to address the issue of general hygiene and disposal of waste in our homes and community.”
Mtshabezi senior village head, Mr Sindiso Nyathi, emphasised the traditional leadership’s commitment to supporting Government and its partners in development projects. He mandated that every new homestead must include an ablution facility first.
During a ceremony to officially declare Mtshabezi Village as an ODF area, Permanent Secretary for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mrs Latiso Dlamini-Maseko, praised the improved water and sanitation facilities, saying they were crucial pillars of the National Development Strategy 1.
“I’m glad to be in a rural community today where people are no longer practising open defecation. I got the opportunity to get into one of the toilets in this community and I was impressed by the level of smartness that I found there,” she said.
“The standard of living is improving in our rural communities and we see significant development coming in. I would like to thank the Government and its partners for initiating this project.”
Mrs Dlamini-Maseko noted that Government has achieved significant milestones in developing rural communities and urged the Mtshabezi community to utilise the knowledge shared to improve their living standards.
The Enhanced Resilience for Vulnerable Households in Zimbabwe (ERVHIZ) programme, funded by the European Union, aims to contribute to the well-being of households facing economic and climate-induced shocks in Matabeleland South.
The project integrates agriculture, Wash and nutrition and is implemented in six districts: Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo, Gwanda, Beitbridge and Insiza, in collaboration with FAO, Unicef, WHH, Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ), Goal Zimbabwe and International Medical Corps (IMC). —@DubeMatutu
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