Zimi's story

www.cafod.org.uk

www.cafod.org.uk

Profile Name: Zimisozettu, or ‘Zimi’ as she likes to be called!

Age: 10 years old

Where I live: A village in Hwange, Zimbabwe Family: I live with my Auntie and my brother, as well as two cousins.

Zimbabwe

Zimi lives in Zimbabwe, a beautiful country in Africa. Getting clean water is a big problem in some parts of Zimbabwe, because the government cannot afford to repair and look after the water pipes.

Zimi collects water twice a day for her family.

Water is like a gift from God. We don’t ever waste water, we look after every drop.

She is thankful for the borehole nearby.

When the borehole broke down, there was no money to fix it. Zimi had to walk 2-3 hours a day to collect water.

Water is very precious in life because without water you cannot survive

Now the boreholes are working I have time to do things I like.

Before, I spent most of my spare time fetching water but now I can do fun stuff too.

My favourite subjects at school are English and Maths

Even at school, Zimi has to collect water...

I get small amounts of water from the borehole near school so that I can drink and wash my hands when I am at school.

Having water makes me feel safe.

Water should be shared by all the people on earth. It is good to share water. Water is not something one person should own, it is for everybody to share.

When I am older I would like a tap and a toilet inside my house. If I have water and a toilet in my house I won’t get attacked. It is scary going to get water because you are afraid of people attacking you.

Things to think about...

• Why do you think water makes Zimi ‘feel safe’?

• What is a borehole and how does it work?

• Why does Zimi collect water at school?

• “Water is not something one person should own” – what do you think Zimi means by this?

• What differences has the borehole made to Zimi’s life?

www.cafod.org.uk

www.cafod.org.uk Photos: Simon Rawles Illustrations: Per JosĂŠ Karlen