“Chingobe Village receives borehole for the first time since 1964”
The ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc (ZCCM-IH) in this financial year (2016-2017) has planned to undertake a project dubbed “Clean Water for Zambia”, where it will focus on sinking 10 boreholes, as its core sustainable social investment.
This project was officially launched on Friday, 05 August 2016, in Chingobe Village, situated 60 kilometers from Sinda District Boma. The village with over 240 residents, and surrounded by 3 other villages, has had no access to clean water since 1964. Women and children, have been going to fetch for clean water from as early as 04:00 hours in the morning, from a hand dug well situated 3 kilometers away. The residents have also been using a nearby well, which was also hand dug, however, the water has not been fit for human consumption.
Headman Chingobe for the village stated that waterborne diseases have been recurrent amongst his people, and that the new borehole, will certainly help reduce cases of these diseases.
Speaking during the launch and handover ceremony of the borehole, ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Pius Kasolo said that this project is one way of ZCCM-IH ploughing back to society by sinking a number of boreholes in remote areas of the country with little or no access to clean and safe water such as Chingobe Village. “Chingobe Village is the first to receive this borehole, and we will spread the remaining 9 boreholes to other parts of the country”, said Dr. Kasolo.
He further reiterated that ZCCM-IH coupled with the “Clean Water for Zambia” project will help transform society’s livelihoods by encouraging horticulture farming at small scale by providing irrigation treadle pumps in areas where boreholes will be sunk. Families already into this enterprise with be given a boost, instead of using buckets for watering, they will use treadle pumps which will help increase their productivity. In executing this project, ZCCM-IH is working with NGOs who are currently on the ground working with various horticultural communities. These NGOs are Kickstart (Zambia) (the makers and promoters of the treadle pumps) and Profit+ (who will offer training to the selected potential farmers).
In this regard, 10 women clubs representing more than 280 horticulture farmers received irrigation treadle pumps. In order to make this project sustainable, Profit+ also received 5 treadle pumps which will be given to five lead farmers, who will help train the 10 clubs. Apart from this, the organization will guide these farmers to grow horticultural products that are on demand on the market such as red onion, which is currently being imported. Profit+ will also help in linking these farmers to off-takers on the market. The farmers thanked ZCCM-IH for the noble gesture, stating that the treadle pumps would go a long way in changing their livelihoods.
Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo expressed gratitude to ZCCM-IH for sinking of a borehole and donating the 25 money maker irrigation treadle pumps. Mr Kasolo said all these efforts would go a long way in changing the lives of communities in a sustainable manner.