Chronicle Editor
Sunday News Reporter
LOT Water Project, founded by United States-based Zimbabwean, Mr Innocent Hadebe, has installed 13 solar powered boreholes in a number of schools in Luveve, Bulawayo. Last week, the organisation installed three boreholes at three schools in Luveve, with one of the benefactors of the organisation, American citizen Mr Micheal Hazelton coming to the country as guest of honour.
Mr Hazelton said his Christian background was the driving force behind his philanthropy work.
He expressed pleasure at seeing the impact the boreholes were making in schools and communities in Luveve.
“When I first met Innocent (Hadebe) five years ago, I never imagined I would be making my first trip to Africa with him. I’m grateful for the opportunity he has given us to assist make a difference in the communities in Luveve through water provision,” he said.
Lot Water focuses on providing alternative safe water sources in Bulawayo with initial attention on the Luveve community where founder, Mr Hadebe grew up. The area was in 2020 affected by a diarrhoea outbreak that resulted in the death of 13 people. Mr Hazelton visited the country with his family and also witnessed the drilling of two boreholes, at Mafakela Primary School and Inyanda High School last week.
The Hazelton family had earlier officially handed over a borehole to Luveve Primary School, which was built last year by the Lot Water Project. Luveve Primary School Development Committee chairperson, Mrs Beauty Banda said the borehole was helping pupils with clean water and facilitated agriculture practical lessons.
“Water is a challenge in the city and particularly for schools where you have to handle crowds of young children, you have to be wary of diseases breaking out. We had a small garden, which was struggling to thrive but we are now expanding it to grow more vegetables, which we hope will bring extra income to the school,” she said.
Emakhandeni-Luveve Member of Parliament, Mr Discent Bajila, who attended the handover ceremony at Luveve Primary, lauded the Lot Water Project.
“We appreciate the gesture as it provides residents with a basic need, which we are struggling with as a city. The impact the project has on schools is tremendous as it gives them constant water supply for both toilets and gardening,” he said.
Mr Hadebe said they were grateful to the donors who have made their vision come to fruition.
“I initially raised funds for one borehole without thinking about the next move but overwhelming support encouraged me to expand and reach more people,” he said. Although the solar-powered boreholes are mainly located within institutions, local communities have been granted access to the water in times of council water shedding.
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