Community devise own plan to get clean water

The community of Khalavha’s Gwadzha section found a temporary solution for their long-standing water problems by constructing a pipeline that collects water from a mountain spring and supplies it to people’s houses.

One of the residents, Mr Edson Ramunisi, said the idea of installing a pipeline came after they realised that women were risking their lives to travel long distances into the bush to fetch water. He said the area was home to approximately 30 families and was located near the Thathe-Vondo plantation.

“As residents, we gathered and began to seek other ways, and eventually decided to collect water from the nearby mountain to supply to people’s houses,” he said. “Before commencing with our groundwork, we agreed to name it the ‘Gwadzha Community Development Project’.”

“A group of 10 men, encouraged by the former Limpopo MEC for Transport/Agriculture, Dr Tshenuwani Farisani, climbed up the mountain, where they discovered two springs,” Ramunisi explained. The team then started building a pipe system to channel the water to the houses.

“Each family contributed R1 500 to purchase pipes in bulk and the installation of the pipeline was completed within three weeks. Now every household has its own water and can use as much as they need. The implementation of the water pipeline was a difficult project to carry out, due to the mountainous terrain,” he continued.

Prior to the pipeline project, only three households had access to water from their private boreholes.

“A reliable supply of water also allowed us as villagers for the first time to grow vegetables, plant fruits and sell them to the nearby markets. Residents of Gwadzha are predicting an even bigger harvest next year, after discovering the water supply is sufficient to irrigate their backyard gardens. Villagers have also planted fruit trees – meaning better nutrition and higher incomes. We have enough water, but the community must use it sparingly,” Ramunisi concluded.

Date:03 October 2021

By: Godfrey Mandiwana

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