After years without potable water, people under group village head Wirima Traditional Authority Gumba in Mchinji District have for the first time in their lives gained access to tap water.
This follows an intervention from Source of Life Children Foundation, who have handed over a solar-powered water system to the village.
People in the area used to rely on unsafe boreholes and shallow wells, which led to frequent waterborne diseases.
Source of Life Children Foundation country representative, Innocent Semu, said they thought of going to the area because people have never enjoyed potable water for a long time.
“Finding safe water has been a challenge for the people over the past 50 years here and they were forced to get water from wells where they shared the water with animals,” said Semu.
Stella Grey of the same village said she used to wake up at 4 am to be first to get to a well, but the wells usually dried up.
“The shallow wells in the village are a source of diseases because they are not well protected and our children used to often get sick. I am happy to see tap water in our village for the first time,” said Grey.
Senior Disease Control and Surveillance Officer under Gumba Health Centre, Allan Banda, said there is only one borehole in the area which makes waterborne diseases to rise.
“in this village because of poor water sources, 10 dysentery cases are registered in children under the age of five. We are hopeful the situation will change now,” said Banda.
TA Gumba was all praises of the development in her area.
By Vincent Khonje, MANA