By Catherine Alumando, Mwanza
In the area of Traditional Authority Kanduku in Mwanza District lies Humba Village, a quiet but struggling community of 222 households, home to more than 600 people who have never had access to tap water.
Every day, the villagers gather around one small, shallow hand-dug well with muddy, brownish water that is clearly unsafe for drinking. The water sits exposed to dirt, insects and contamination.
On this particular afternoon, Rebecca Moses Thukulu is seated on the ground, leaning forward carefully with her pregnancy as she scoops water from the well into her bucket. For her, every cup she drinks carries a silent fear.
“I am worried for my unborn child. If I drink this water, I might get cholera or other diseases. But we have nothing else,” she explains.
A few metres away from her stands an old stand pipe and a pit that once promised relief. But according to locals, the structure is now infected.
Patricia Khobili says the water inside is so contaminated that the only use left is for washing clothes.
“The men dug it using hoes and hands. It was helping us at first, but after some time it got infected. We cannot drink from it anymore.”
Water is not the only challenge around here because, for years, Humba Village had no bridge, making it impossible for development projects to reach the area.
Moses Mponda, the Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, explains the painful reality.
“Expectant women and patients were carried on machila (an improvised stretcher) across the river. We had no proper road. Even getting to Mwanza District Hospital, which is far from here, was a struggle,” adds Mponda.
Representing the village headman, Raphael Divasoni says Humba has existed for decades but remained forgotten.
“Since this village was born, we have never had a borehole or a bridge. We felt trapped and abandoned.”
However, change has finally stepped into Humba Village as a new bridge has recently been constructed by the district council under the Constituency Development Fund.
The bridge now connects Humba to most routes of Mwanza, making it possible for development projects to finally reach the community, including clean water.
Erick Nyekanyeka, Director of Planning at Mwanza District Council, says the bridge is one step closer towards the aspiration of accessing clean water.
“The construction of a borehole for Humba Village is already included in the next financial year. We were failing to bring equipment because of the lack of a bridge. Now that the bridge is done, we are one step closer.”
Member of Parliament for Mwanza Central, Felix Njawala, says it is unfortunate that in 2025, there is still a village in Mwanza which has no clean water.
“In our desperate efforts to supply the village with clean water, a contractor failed to reach the place with a drilling machine for a borehole, he is yet to return with other equipment,” he added.
For now, Humba Village continues to survive on unsafe water.
But with the new bridge and the promise of a borehole, the community finally sees a future where clean, safe water may no longer be a dream.
