Zambia - Connected Church

Zambia
Boreholes
February 2012
Partner: Brethren in Christ Church (BICC)
Dear Supporting Churches
Once again thank you for your support to our project. Your gifts enable us to deliver extra
services to the neediest people in the rural areas. Your prayers too strengthen and
encourage us while implementing various activities of the project. With your financial
support, communities with inadequate clean water receive boreholes from which
thousands of people in the community get the water for domestic uses. Not only do these
drilled water point sources provide potable water to thousands of beneficiaries, they have
also reduced on the distances walked and the time spent to fetch the most important
liquid in life which is water. We only hope that the gained time by the communities due to
reduced distances because of the new boreholes shall be spent on executing income
generating activities and above all give thanks and praises to God.
We have recently started a new venture of drilling boreholes with a hand operated machine. With
the same amount of money we can drill approximately five boreholes with this method compared to
one of the standard borehole variety, but the hand drilled boreholes are not as deep. We are
therefore looking into whether this alternative method should be used more frequently in our work.
With respect to sanitation, advocacy on good hygiene and sanitation practices have continued.
Emphasis was made on the safe disposal of human waste and the washing of hands after using the
toilet and before eating any food.
About the project
This project hopes to provide boreholes for
communities in rural Zambia where people
walk miles and queue for hours to collect
water. It aims to encourage hygiene, the
growth of small agricultural plots and
enable children to attend school.
Funding target: £60,000
Dirty water, clean water
Can you imagine walking 15 km to fetch water for a period of two months during the driest and
hottest portion of the year?
A young Zambian woman, Viness Siakwale of Matimba Village, used to carry water on her head that
far during the years of 1992 to 1999. It was necessary to leave the house at 3 o’clock in the
morning to be able carry water back to the house by the proper time. This water was found every
year in a stream where the people would dig a hole into the stream bed. People were so impressed
by the regular availability of water at this site that some believed the spirits were being good to
them. Viness would stand in a queue as the village women and girls would take turns dipping the
water from the hole.
In 1999 things improved. Some well-wishers provided money to drill a borehole 5 km from Viness’
home. That was wonderful, but 5 km still took a lot of time.
During the other 10 months of the year water is more local. Viness’ husband and others dug a hole
in the ground in a low area about 1 km from the household and water collected there. It entered
the hole from the surrounding ground area. Poles from trees were used to create a fence around
the hole to keep the cattle from walking and excreting into the pool of water. When the rains came
the water washed animal and human waste into the pool so they dug ditches to divert the water
away from the pools. Sadly, one of Viness’ children died. The post-mortem indicated the child had
died of water borne disease.
Because of the distance to carry water and the limited supply, Viness and her husband only used 5
litres of water to bathe each time. The husband bathed three times each week, Viness four times
each week and the children once a week.
Much to the joy of Viness’ family, some funds came from Tearfund UK for a borehole at Matimba
Village. Even though Viness and her daughter Margaret have to walk 1.2 km to the borehole they
are so thankful for the clear clean water which is available all year round.
The pool that was dug in a low lying area about 1 km
from Viness’ house and used for drinking and bathing
water before the borehole was drilled. It typically
dries up for at least 2 months each year. Notice the
posts which are to help keep the cattle out.
Photo: Mr Mwaka Chibinga/BICC
The new borehole drilled in 2011 in Matimba
Village. Viness is pumping and her daughter
Margaret is helping.
Photo: Mr Mwaka Chibinga/BICC
Viness Siakwale with a 20 litre container of water on her head and her daughter, Margaret Maambo,
with a 5 litre container of water. They now only have 1.2 km to walk to their home instead of 5 km.
Photo: Mr Mwaka Chibinga/BICC
Prayer points
•
Thank God for the borehole that has been drilled in Matimba Village and for the difference this
has made to Viness and her family and others in the village.
•
Pray that local people will prioritise the proper disposal of human waste and rubbish so that
local resources will be available to maintain a sanitary environment
•
Pray for more support of this project so that more lives of rural people can be improved through
the provision of drilling new boreholes
•
Pray for leadership and the communities at large to accept change positively and implement
proper sanitation methods discussed during the meetings
•
Pray for safety of the Water and Sanitation officer as he travels from one Zone to another on a
Motor Bike trying to encourage the communities to change