Vusumuzi Dube
Sunday News Reporter
The Lot Water Project has drilled two more boreholes in Luveve as it continues its quest to provide safe and clean water sources in Bulawayo.
On Monday the non-governmental organisation drilled at Imbizo Primary School while on Tuesday another borehole was drilled at Matshayiskhova Primary. Both schools are in New Luveve. This brings to eight the number of boreholes that have been drilled in the city since inception in 2021.
Lot Water Project founder, Mr Innocent Hadebe who is in the country to oversee the drilling of the two boreholes said they are hoping to have set up five more boreholes before the end of the year. He revealed the acquisition of a rig by the organisation would make it easier to quicken their pace.
Mr Hadebe said they are now focusing on schools as part of empowering the educational institutions to maximise on agriculture education while providing security for the boreholes and allowing access to community members.
“Agriculture is an important sector in Zimbabwe and the Government has introduced a curriculum that will see more students learning Agriculture hence it’s critical to give them water sources at that age to ensure they can learn effectively. Water can also be used for other purposes particularly in the ablution facilities during times when there is water-shedding. We have heard of instances where young people have been forced to carry containers with them to school or young learners being forced to stay at home due to potential disease threat and it’s our hope this is something that cab be curbed through the provision of safe water from these boreholes,” he said.
Mr Hadebe jetted into the country with some of the supporters of the Lot Water Project who are based in the United States and include Jeff Spratlin, his daughter Avery Spratlin, Lindsay Copeland, Penny Wilkie, Dr Hetty Asiodu. Copeland, who is in Africa for the first time, expressed delight at the progress made by the Lot Water Project adding they hope to impact on more lives as the project continues to flourish. She believes it’s critical the boreholes last for generations to come.
“We met Innocent through a friend in church and we prayed deeply about this project before we came on board to support and we are happy to see people benefitting from the work Lot Water is doing. I believe it is critical the boreholes benefit generations to come and not just the current beneficiaries and hopefully they mitigate any effects of climate change that may arise,” she said.
Copeland said they felt compelled to visit Zimbabwe not just for the Lot Water Project but to also understand the local people, understand the beautiful and hard things and as a person who believes in God also understand how they can pray for Zimbabwe and support local communities.
“Its (Lot Water Project) one of those things that God leads you to support and when you get to see and speak with people that He is touching through this you know that it’s important and its something that he wants us to personally continue supporting,” she said.
The Lot Water Project has so far drilled eight boreholes in the Luveve area with most being located within schools to ensure the security of the boreholes while at the same time allowing communities to access the water. Other schools that have benefitted from the scheme include Nzwananzi, Luveve Primary, Fusi, Cowdray Park Primary. Two other boreholes are situated at Amakhosi Grounds and near Masina Terminus.
Mr Hadebe founded the project in response to a dysentery outbreak that resulted in the death of at least 13 people the hospitalisation of hundreds following the suspected contamination of tap water.
Online Reporter