Boreholes rehabilitation project
Since its inception in 2019, Watsan has rehabilitated more than 2,300 hand pumps in the provinces of Manica and Sofala.
When the pumps broke down, the population travelled long distances in search of drinking water and some would resort to rivers and unprotected wells where they would fetch unsafe water for consumption, which consequently caused them various water-borne illnesses.
Some families also travelled long distances in search of firewood to boil the water to make it potable for consumption. Some school-age girls even missed classes because of the long distances they travelled in search of water. With Watsan Mozambique’s intervention, the situation has changed, as all the broken sources are working normally again, and the project guarantees that the pumps will continue to be repaired for a minimum period of 5 years, where it is hoped that the community will continue to make contributions so that when the project ends there will be enough savings to maintain the pumps.
In addition to supplying clean, safe water and greenhouse gas savings, this project has created positive social, economic, and environmental impacts:
• Resulted in less wood used by households, which will reduce pressure on local ecosystems
• Reduced expenditure on firewood, leaving money free for other household expenses
• Trained communities in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) techniques
• Supported communities to manage and maintain their own water points
Water Quality Testing
To ensure that the water supplied from the rehabilitated and/or drilled borehole is safe for consumption, WATSAN has been taking the water samples for laboratory testing and when there are feacal coliform or other elements that affect water quality, corrective measures are taken such as disinfecting the well, chlorination, among other measures. In this context, WATSAN took samples and carried out water quality tests in all boreholes that were rehabilitated, and the corrective measures were taken were necessary.
Training in hygiene and sanitation
In all the communities intervened in by Watsan Mozambique, whether in drilling or rehabilitation of boreholes, Watsan field officers have been conducting some Hygiene and Sanitation sessions training the people in water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) techniques.
During these training sessions, people have been trained and made aware of personal and collective hygiene practices, hygiene, and sanitation in the environment, in homes, public places and other spaces, and the community was mobilized to build latrines and hand washing devices. At the same time, the pump management committees are revitalized in communities where the committees were inactive or incomplete; in communities that did not have pump management committees, Borehole management committees are elected
Latrine Construction in Schools
Watsan Mozambique has also built WASH facilities in more than 10 schools, where there was built flash sanitary block, well drilled and a solar powered water system.