US$50m WASH project launched

Officially launched at Mkubazi Primary School in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North Province last Thursday, the programme is expected to see the rehabilitation of existing water and sanitation infrastructure, building of new infrastructure and launch of community-led sanitation programmes.

“Equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene remain a major concern as they are fundamental to the health and well being of children,” United Nations Children’s Fund country representative Dr Peter Salama said.
Funded by the United Kingdom’s Department of Foreign and International Development, Unicef will rehabilitate 7 400 broken down boreholes, drilling of 1 500 boreholes and construction of 15 000 latrines in 1 500 rural schools. Dr Salama, whose organisation would be implementing the project in conjunction with community based

organisations, said the project would run in five provinces with low water, sanitation and hygiene access for the next five years.

These are Mashonaland West, Midlands, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South provinces.
“Access to improved sanitation is integral to human dignity as well as to the reduction of sanitation-related diseases. The rural WASH programme will support demand-driven, community led approaches to mobilise communities to completely eliminate open defecation,” Dr Salama said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Water Resources Development and Management Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said 75 percent of the 47 000 previously functional boreholes were not working.

Minister Sipepa-Nkomo attributed the limited access to clean water to drying of public and private funding, which mostly affected rural communities, hence initiation of the rural WASH programme.

Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatious Chombo said the WASH programme would go a long way in restoring the capacity of local authorities in service provision, which had been compromised by sanctions, among other factors. He urged local authorities in rural areas to work with WASH implementers for the success of the programme. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who was guest of honor at the function said without a development strategy for the rural areas the country could not succeed.