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Where Women Walk the Night in Search of Water

by Anyal Dalo
AS the great drought tightens It* grip on Southern Africa, the aid agencies In Zambia are embarking on a programme of rehabilitation of the country • water supply structures
At a time when traditional sources are running dry about 75 per cent of government built water sources are doing the same
On-and-off supplies are so unpredictable women tn some area* are having to give up
their sleep to go searching for waler at two In the morning
Part of the problem Is that the water structures, like so much else, have suffered from the malaise that has perme ated Zambian society in recent year* -- neglect, thieving or perfunctory maintenance
In several cases the water haa gone down, rendering the well* and borehole* u»elcss unless they are deepened or de-silted
Alfeyo Hambayt. Energy and Water Minister in the new government led by President Frederick CMhaba. told a meet ing of donor agencies tn July that "the situation Is worsening day by day. In order to save life the drought emergency programme has to be carried out within the next five months."
There is still a chance that a waler crisis can be averted. Officials from several embassies as well as non govern mental organisations such as Africare. the World Lutheran Federation. Oxfam, and the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD), and from the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) and are setting up a task force to mobilise funds, equipment and materials
Some 3,900 wells. 1.100 boreholes and more than 1OO dams will be repaired and 900 new boreholes built Germany will have completed 295 wells and boreholes under a project ending in December
Another 346 will be funded by Germany and Japan be tween now and 1996 NORAD and Japan have together con-
tributed 83 million for hand pumps and spare parts
The situation tn the Eastern Province Is precarious because It has no donor aided water Sroject The province, which orders drought stricken Malawi, has a high number of broken down water sources
and needs new ones.
The British charity Oxfam, which runs community projects tn the province, is taking part tn the overall drought relief programme and has begun de-silting some wells.
Hardest hit, according to a report by Lewis Mbumwae, Director of the Water Affairs De partment, to the Southern Province, which haa the largest number of forestock.
It borders Zimbabwe and Botswana which are also drought affected Most of its •rater sources are faulty or have dried up Animals are dy mg
Equipment for a Japanese aided water project is being diverted to dig new dams and repair old ones
The key to a new water policy is to persuade the con-
sumers to become perma nently responsible for care of the sources.
Mbumwae says: "We need to Involve the local population. Government provides the ma terlals and the community waler committees should maintain the equipment "
Rural political and traditional leaders are being asked to mobilise the people to take part tn repairs and new con struction. Some will be trained by water experts to maintain simple-technology water equipmenl npd structures.
At prewrHI a 915 million drought refief programme is being seriously endangered by the Waler Department » inability to repair and build the urgently needed water source*. Th department In understaffed and ha* little drilling equipment and materials.
The government also finds It cannot hire focal and foreign drilling companies to begin work in the most affected areas because it cannot afford to make the initial paymenu they demand.
— Gemini News