This is our first well in the North Western District. Chief Mumena of Solwezi visited our partner, Peoples Action Forum, to request a well for his district.
He explained that his headmen report that water has been the number one concern all across the chiefdom. His kingdom covers an area of 150x80km which is divided into 30 zones each under a headman. Each zone can have up to 75 villages, the total population of the chiefdom being over 60,000.
Chief Mumena sees the biggest challenge of lack of access to clean safe water is the effect on health of his people. There is a high incidence of diarrheal diseases and bilharzias. Hygiene is also highly compromised. He believes the disease burden on health centres would be reduced by as much as 50% if clean safe water were accessible.
Villagers are being encouraged to improve their living conditions by building brick housing rather than mud and pole ones but this and other social development is slowed down by the challenge of having to go distances to fetch water for brick making. Productivity, especially for women and girls, is reduced with time spent fetching water.
