News Zambia ZAMTEL LAUNCHES WATER FOR LIFE COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN
It is estimated that the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation costs the subregion around 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) each year, and without strong and targeted action from governments, donors and stakeholders, this inequality of access and the resulting poverty will continue to increase. Currently, only 31% of people in Africa have adequate access to good sanitation, despite sanitation and water being a recognised human right. This situation has a devastating
effect on health, education and the economic and social standing of the poorest people. Diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and dysentery are usually linked to inadequate sanitation and are now recognised as the major killers of children in Africa. It is for this reason that Zambia Telecommunications (Zamtel) has launched a nationwide community water facility programme called Water for Life, which involves the sinking and repairing of boreholes in all of the country s nine provinces to supplement the government s efforts. Zamtel officially started this programme recently by sinking the first borehole in Mumbwa at BulunguBasic School, which had no water for many years and where pupils were forced to carry drinking water in containers from their homes. The communication company is working in conjunction
with a leading telecommunications company, Huawei, which has made a contribution of US$10 000 (about R71 350) to Zamtel to assist with its countrywide water programmes. At the recent official launch, Zamtel managing director Hans Paulsen said the Water for Life programme was aimed at giving disadvantaged communities access to clean drinking water, with Bulungu Basic School being the first to benefit. He said the first phase would cost the company K2 billion (approximately R2.9 million), which would also be accompanied by vigorous sensitisation campaigns and the distribution of containers in some areas to allow for easy carriage of the commodity. Paulsen said the idea to start the programme was arrived at after wide consultations as to which could be the best programme for the firm to embark
on as a way of ploughing back into the community and showing its appreciation for the use of its services. His company came up with many ideas but settled for the water project that would cushion government efforts in ensuring that everyone has access to clean water. "This investment is about doing something more than that which directly benefits the business. It is about changing lives for the better. We will also be giving out branded water carriers to residents; like here in Mumbwa we have given out 100 branded water carriers to the locals,'' he said. Paulsen said it was Zamtel's wish to make a real difference in the Zambian communities by providing access to clean water through the sinking of boreholes throughout the country. Source: Times of Zambia
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