Health, School facilities, to benefit from Unicef, USAID-funded piped water project

Solar-powered piped water project that is being funded by Unicef and USAID is expected to ease sanitation woes in five health facilities and primary schools in Blantyre.

The project is expected to address sanitation and enhance hygiene promotion among other residents in the rural settings of District.

The Blantyre’s Water Officer, Tamala Zembeni said the project aims at installing a 72,000-litre water reservoir and drilling two boreholes per system which has seen projects at Madziabango Health Centre, primary schools and the market finalized.

Apart from Madziabango Health Centre and primary school, a same project has also been achieved at Chikowa and Dziwe Health Centres as well as Chikuli and Dziwe Primary Schools while construction works are still underway at Chimembe and Namikoko Health Centres as well as Chimembe and Chivumbe primary schools.

She said, “Most of the health centres did not have reliable water sources and yet they have, for instance, the maternity that cannot operate without water for good service delivery. Even school going children, especially those in primary level, also need clean water and this project will really help them.”

She indicated that the water system whose taps produce 0.5 litres per second is enough to be extended to surrounding communities upon request but at a cost. Each water system costs about USD 70, 000.

Madziabango Primary School Head Teacher, Patrick Tilowe, welcomed the development saying hygiene among the 900 plus learners will no longer be an issue of concern.

“We only had a borehole and two taps in the past but now we have over ten of them. It is my hope that from this term going forward, we will never have water issues again because the taps are now more than enough. We will guard them jealously so that we maintain them,” said Tilowe.