In commemoration of World Water Day, senior government officials including the minister of Education Art, Sport and Culture David Coltart and officials from USAID gathered at the school that is located at the epicentre of the 2008-9 cholera epidemic.
Rainwater harvesting is a simple system consisting of gutters attached to the roof and a water storage tank. Rainwater harvesting moves from the immediate response to a cholera epidemic, to the area of cholera prevention, said Themos Ntasis, country director of the International Relief and Development (IRD) that coordinates the
programme on behalf of the USAID.
Rooftop rainwater harvesting provides clean water for many years after the response to the epidemic and prevents future outbreaks of water borne diseases, added Ntasis.
The USAIDs Peri-Urban rooftop Rainwater Harvesting (PROOF) programme was incepted in June 2009 and is providing safe drinking water to over 25,000 Zimbabweans in urban and rural areas.
Water woes are not only peculiar to Chitungwiza, but are inherent in most cities in the country. Towns such as Marondera and Masvingo also face shortages, forcing people to dig wells at their homes.
To date 805 rain water collection systems serving 2,653 households and eight schools with a total of 26,321 beneficiaries have been set up.
Other schools that have benefited are: Mwandishe Primary and Tafara Primary school in Tafara; Gwinyai Primary school in Mbare; Glen View 8 primary school in Glen View; Budiriro 5 primary school in Budiriro as well as Masocha and Dangabvura in Manicaland.
Post published in: News