WATER FOR ALL
Water Challenges at Muvamba Mission, Mozambique
There is a shortage of accessible, safe water for the rural population of Muvamba. Muvamba Mission is a Redemptorist parish. During the drought periods people have to walk up to 26km (13km each way) to obtain water. It is normally women and girls who fulfil this task, which is demanding and damages their health and reduces options for education. The health challenges faced by this community include high levels of diarrhoea, rampant malaria, schistosomiasis, trachoma, skin and eye and infections, high levels of malnutrition and stunted growth for children.
The Redemptorist Water Programme
The Redemptorists at the Muvamba Mission have developed a Water for All Programme which is a a multi-annual programme which delivers and constructs a number of vital water resources to local communities including:
- The construction of deep water wells in the most remote and arid areas with either solar or diesel generator powered pumps;
- The construction of manual water resource pumps to a depth of 120 metres;
- Repair of covered community water cisterns located at family homes and primary schools;
- The construction of covered community water cisterns that gather rain water with a 50,000 ltr capacity;
- Repair of existing wells and installation of more reliable and efficient Blue Pump and Afri Pump units;
- Construction of open wells with a depth of approxilately 15 metres;
- Repair of existing pumps and installation of modern and more reliable pumping mechanisms
The following was achieved in 2009 and 2010
- Construction of 10 manual water pumps;
- 9 community covered water cisterns repaired;
- 21 community covered water cisterns constructed;
- 10 open wells constructed;
- 11 existing wells repaired with Afri Pump units installed;
- Rollout of training and maintenance programme for local communities;
- Over 11,000 people have benefitted from access to clean and reliable water supply;
The Redemptorists are aiming during 2012:
- Construction of new wells to a depth of between 50 and 75 metres and installation of manual pumps at 6 communities;
- Repair of wells and installation of new manual pumps at 5 communities;
- Construction of new covered cisterns in 4 communies;
Investment
The Redemptorists are investing €125,000 during 2012 with grants from Misean Cara and Electric Aid in providing these precious and life changing water resources.
