Page 9 - WATER SECTOR MAGAZINE VOLUME 3

WATER FOR PEOPLE IN QUEST

OF CURBING WATER SALINITY

Salanity makes it a challenge for women and children to access clean water

By BRIAN MULENGA Jameson, a 41-year-old woman laments trainings on Electric Conductivity (EC)
WATER FOR PEOPLE when asked why she is not fetching water and Best Drilling practices. Electric
In almost all the villages within Chikwawa from boreholes within her village. Conductivity is a process in which water is
District, it’s not uncommon to see a group tested every three meters after hitting the
of women and children happily chatting Traditional Authority Ngabu is one of the first water strike, and if saline aquifers are
and laughing at a water point (borehole) areas in Chikwawa District with high saline found they are blocked with plain casings,
while getting water for their households. aquifers. This has led to most boreholes thus only allowing fresh water through the
But take a walk through Mpheza Village in being abandoned by communities after slotted casings.One of the recent hands-on
Traditional Authority Ngabu in Chikwawa huge investments from stakeholders. trainings which demonstrate curbing of
District, the sight is different. Water For People, an international non- saline aquifers was held in Paiva village in
governmental organization in partnership TA Ngabu, Chikwawa District.
Although, this village, which has a with Strathclyde University of Scotland with
population of almost 748 people, also funding from The Scottish Government The Electric Conductivity and Best drilling
had an opportunity of getting boreholes is working in Chikwawa District towards practice trainings target Water Monitoring
drilled, all you now see are abandoned and addressing this challengeof high saline Assistants from the Chikwawa District
corroding boreholes while women still aquifers in TA Ngabu. The goal is to better Council, drilling companies, officials
fetch water, almost three kilometers away, identify areas of high salinity to reduce from the Regional Water Office and other
from neighboring villages. abandonment of boreholes after huge interested WASH stakeholders. If the
investments are made in drilling them. success of the initiative continues, it will
“The government and NGOs have provided prevent people in communities like Mpheza
us with boreholes in our village but the With an objective of sustaining this from having to walk several kilometers
water is too salty. I can’t drink it. Even initiative, Water for People is building each day in search of fresh water.
animals can’t drink this water,”Mary capacity in its stakeholders by organizing
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