Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia, has commended Pump Aid for interventions aimed at providing potable water for rural communities in Dowa District.
Speaking Tuesday during a field visit in Traditional Authority Kayembe in the district, the minister said the Beyond Water Programme which empowers communities in repairs and maintenance of community water points, is helpful in improving all-time access to potable water to communities.
“As a country, we have many boreholes in poor rural areas which are not functioning. But this programme is empowering people to have their own paid area mechanics, thereby always ensuring access to potable water.
“This reduces risks of diseases like cholera and distance the women travel to fetch water amongst other things. As government, we are thankful for this important intervention which has our full backing,” she said.
Mia then said her ministry will consider providing two more water systems in Nambuma in the same traditional authority.
Tiyamike Lingison, a community member, said whenever the village borehole stopped functioning, they had to walk a long distance to use the dambos that animals use.
“But with the coming of Pump Aid Beyond Water Programme, we simply call our area mechanic who services the borehole in no time. As such, our lives and health wellbeing has changed,” said Lingison.
In his remarks, Pump Aid Beyond Water Country Director, Symon Msukwa, said the organisation estimates that over 40 per cent of the boreholes are nonfunctional at any given point in time.
“So, we thought we needed to support government by making sure we increase the number of functional water points so that more people have access to clean water,” he said.
Msukwa added the organisation also wants communities to understand that service provision is something that the community deserves.
Pump Aid Beyond Water assists in providing solutions to unreliable access to water for poor rural populations through competent, organised and coordinated management of rural water hand pumps. The programme has been in the district for over two years now.
Reported By Tamala Kamanga
