Delta Corporation Limited, a company that produces beverages and is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), is financing a solar borehole project in the Nyahunda area of Bikita, Masvingo province. The project, which costs US$10,000, aims to provide clean water to over 5,000 people, including 500 students from Tagona Secondary and Chitenderano Primary Schools.
In addition to the borehole project, Delta Corporation has spent US$15,000 to refurbish a classroom block, a teacher’s house, and ablution facilities for the school children. These buildings were damaged by heavy rains in October 2023. The project began late last year and focuses on addressing the issue of inadequate water and poor sanitation in Tagona, Chitenderano Schools, and the Nyahunda community. This effort will help mitigate the spread of the ongoing cholera epidemic.
According to Ms. Patricia Murambinda, the general manager in charge of corporate affairs at Delta, Bikita experiences water shortages, and the community often faces outbreaks of diarrhoea and typhoid due to the use of contaminated water. The solar borehole project aims to provide clean and safe water to these vulnerable communities.
Ms. Murambinda emphasized that the project empowers communities to fight against the cholera pandemic while addressing the crucial need for water access. The solarized borehole will help alleviate water shortages caused by climate change in rural areas, benefiting some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. The Chronicle cites Murambinda as saying:
The Bikita water project is driven by the need to provide much-needed clean and safe water to the vulnerable communities.
This project has enabled us to take a step towards empowering communities to fight against the cholera pandemic, while delivering on the vital human need, of access to water.
The provision of the solarized borehole will alleviate climate change-induced water shortages in rural areas housing some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country, which has been made possible through a generous grant from Delta.
Furthermore, the refurbishment of the classroom block, teacher’s house, and ablution facilities aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Ms. Murambinda also highlighted that the project has encouraged alumni and former students to participate in community projects. Some of them have recently collaborated to rehabilitate a borehole at Ngorima Clinic, which is handling increased cases of cholera.
The whole of Africa and the Southern African region in particular, is grappling with Cholera. As of February 15, 2024, Zimbabwe reported a total of 24,682 suspected cases of Cholera. Out of these, 2,586 cases have been confirmed. Fortunately, 24,009 people have recovered from the illness. However, there have been 71 confirmed deaths due to Cholera, and an additional 460 deaths are suspected to be related to the disease.