Lack of portable and unclean water affects 7,000households in Salima
The country’s water crisis remains sarcastic towards addressing waterborne disease with fresh revelation that about 7,000 household in Salima North-West Constituency are wrestling for one borehole.
This is a typical example on how the water crisis has reached in the country after 53 years of the Malawi’s independent
The visit to the area during the weekend particularly at Matumba village, Traditional Authority (T.A) Nkhombedza encountered ordeal where women and young girls could wait for six hours to draw water from the borehole.
The borehole which has lived for over decades still remain the hope of the communities despite it’s on and off operation to serve villagers.
In the same constituency, the entire TA Makanjira do not have a borehole as communities rely on water from rivers and lake Malawi for drinking and their household chores.
The development prompted Water Mission and Christian Services, local faith organization to respond to the crisis by fixing the oldest borehole and planning to drill about five extra towards solving water and sanitation challenges.
Random interview with communities revealed shocking incidences including high school drop outs, early and child marriages, marital fights, escalation of water borne diseases and among others.
“We have been living with this borehole since 1946. But with the growing of the population the borehole is failing to serve us all as the demand is high. Our children go to school around 10:00 am coupled with absent due to water scarcity.
“Even, marriages are in disarray as most us, women, we wake up as early as 3:00am to fetch water which don’t please most husbands. With the coming in of Water mission and Christian Services in consultation with our Member of Parliament (MP) Jessie Kabwira, by fixing the bore and plans to drill more will address the crisis which we can’t continue to bare with,” said Esnart Fred of Group Village Headman Kunkhonga in the constituency.
MP Kabwira who donated funds for the completion of the borehole renovation lauded the two organizations for responding very quickly on the challenge.
The lawmaker therefore urged government to increase Community Development Funds (CDF) from MK18 million to MK30 million annually.
With the water crisis hitting hard in most local communities, the best thing is for government to allocate more resources in CDF which will directly meet villagers’ needs including construction of more borehole,” she said.
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On a lighter note, the spelling of “portable” is wrong. It is “potable”. Writers please check these two confusing spellings
Sad news. But nobody talks about the cause of such problems – which include overpopulated societies. The population is just too much compared to little resources we have. Let’s strategize solution on population boom in Malawi i.e. 1 or 2 kids per family.
Portable means it can be carried around. Portable water is water that can be carried around. Potable means it is fit for drinking. Potable water is water that is fit for drinking.