Marvelous Moyo
Problems of access to clean safe water for some rural communities in Gwanda District have now become a thing of the past following the introduction of sand abstraction systems by a non-governmental organisation.

Dabane Trust has over the past few years made great strides to improve access to clean water among rural communities in the country with many communities in drought prone Matabeleland South Province benefiting from its programme of introducing the systems to various communities.

Sand abstraction is a method of drawing water from sandy rivers. Dabane helps communities instal sand abstraction pumps that extract water underneath sandy rivers. The pump, known as Rowa, is connected to a well point in the riverbed and pumps water from there.

The technology of sand abstraction helps to effectively separate water from sand.

Matabeleland South Province is a dry area prone to seasonal droughts resulting in serious water supply problems for both humans and animals. In some areas, people and animals are forced to travel long distances in search of the precious liquid.

Access to safe and clean drinking water is a basic human right but before sand abstraction systems were introduced to communities, most people relied on water from shallow wells which they dig by hand along river beds when water diminishes in local dams.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) safe and sufficient drinking water along with adequate sanitation and hygiene have implications across all Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating infectious diseases to ensuring environmental sustainability.

Although access to clean safe water has been a cause for concern in some rural communities, Dabane Trust’s introduction of the sand abstraction systems has rescued villagers in rural Gwanda from facing continued water problems.

The organisation introduced the system in 1992 and since then it has yielded positive results for communities hence the feeling by other countries in the region such as Mozambique, to have the same system adopted in the dry areas of their countries.

Dabane Trust, partners from Mozambique and others toured some wards in Gwanda District recently where the sand abstraction systems have been introduced, changing the lives of people for the better.

Dabane Trust information, monitoring and evaluation officer Thulani Tshabangu said the organisation had embarked on a serious regional sand abstraction promotion programme since the system had proved to be a sustainable way to provide water to communities in arid and semi-arid areas.

In promoting the sand abstraction system, Dabane Trust hosted Mozambican partners on a look and learn programme.

“We’re trying to promote sand abstraction in the Southern African region that’s why we’re hosting them for them to learn how Dabane Trust has been working in semi-arid and arid rural areas of Zimbabwe to provide clean water supply to communities.

“They’re also operating in a similar environment in Mozambique which is arid and which has no water at all.

“After trapping underground water we then provide communities with Rowa pumps which suck water from dry river beds. This technology is basically low cost for us because communities are able to manage the technologies on their own at a very minimum cost. It’s a very low cost technology that we’re promoting,” said Tshabangu.

He said the technologies were easy to maintain as all they have to do is to purchase a bottle of petroleum jelly to lubricate the pumps and the capsules.

“Nationally we’ve promoted sand abstraction in different districts other than Gwanda, in Gwanda alone we’ve more than 150 sand abstraction water points. We installed these water points working with communities from wards one to nine, 11, 12 and 13. These water points are along river beds, some are along Umzingwane, Thuli, and Ntepe Rivers. We’ve put them along different rivers.

“We also have put up sand abstraction systems in other areas including Nkayi, Tsholotsho, Mangwe, and Bulilima. We’ve worked with other partners to instal sand abstraction systems outside Matabeleland region in areas such as Masvingo, Chivhu, Gokwe, Lower Guruve,” Tshabangu said.

He said Dabane was in the process of having the sand abstraction technology registered and recognised by the government through the National Coordination Unit of Rural WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Zimbabwe.

“The process of registering this technology will mean that sand abstraction systems become a technology of choice for use by rural communities in the arid and semi-arid regions. It’s basically a process of endorsing the technology and accepting it. That process is now at an advanced stage. Once the process is through it would mean people anywhere can instal sand abstraction systems on their own. It would mean that it’s a technology that’s recognised by the government, it’s not harmful to the people,” said Tshabangu.

For any technology to be recognised as suitable, it should be able to function for up to 25 years.

Tshabangu said since Dabane started promoting sand abstraction systems in 1992, no major breakdowns have been recorded.

“We’ve particular water points that we set up in 1992 and have been functional for the past 23 years. We’re confident that it’s a sustainable technology which has been used beyond 20 years in Tshelanyemba area, Matobo district. That on its own is an indicator that the technology is sustainable,” he said.

Dabane Trust also worked with World Vision in 2009 in setting up sand abstraction systems in Swaziland.

The European Union (EU) through Oxfam Novib provided funding for Dabane Trust to engage in water supply, sanitation and hygiene programmes for the period 2011-16.

The organisation’s programmes are also in line with the government’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, which stresses the need to promote access to clean water and improved sanitation facilities.

Sand abstraction systems on their own have advantages that they provide clean water to rural communities at a low cost.

The water from a sand abstraction point is naturally filtered through the sand and therefore is free from any form of contamination such as coliforms.

Coliforms are a broad class of bacteria found in the environment including the faecal matter of man and other warm blooded animals. The presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water may indicate a possible presence of harmful, disease-causing organisms. No micro-organisms can live underneath the sand because the water point is sunk down 3-5metres underneath.

Dabane Trust has been able to test the water from these points working with the Department of Environmental Health under the Ministry of Health and Child Care in conducting water quality tests.

In Gwanda, Dabane has been working with the Gwanda District Water and Sanitation sub-committee which has been active in supporting the organisation in promoting the sand abstraction systems. The committee comprises different government arms and is a representative of the government at local level in issues of water and sanitation.

“We’re very optimistic that with the buy-in of this committee, sand abstraction systems will be recognised nationally and will become a prime technology of choice of communities living in arid and semi-arid areas,” Tshabangu said.

A team from Mozambique which toured Dabane Trust’s projects in Gwanda said it was impressed with the good work by the NGO as it has made the rural populace lead a normal life.

WASH Officer Ernestino Portugal, who was leading the Mozambican delegation said, “We don’t have such technology in Mozambique, we use the bush pumps. We also operate in very dry areas where people walk up to 15km to 20km in search of water and we want to instal similar technologies in our country because we think our technology doesn’t respond better than these to the needs of the people. The main objective why we’re here is to learn so that we take this technology to Mozambique.”

Portugal said he was optimistic that the sand abstraction system would bring relief to their communities once implemented.

“We’re very impressed with this technology and when we go back home, we’ll work towards introducing it to the dry areas,” he said.

The Mozambican delegation which comprised people from six different NGOs had an opportunity to see the whole process of installing the sand abstraction system technologies right from surveying, the laying of pipes and the actual installation.

Dabane Trust works with community members throughout the whole process of which a survey is conducted for a suitable water site, communities contribute their labour through a 50/50 concept whereby Dabane Trust contributes 50 percent and the community 50 percent for activities conducted.

It contributes materials that communities would not ordinarily be able to purchase on their own such as the Rowa pump as well as the technical know-how whereas the community gathers the locally available resources such as river sand, stones, boulders and labour.

In that approach, it is felt that communities are able to own the water points because they contributed 50 percent, it is not just manna from heaven.

The sand abstraction systems have improved the livelihoods of people and have promoted food security within families.

A recent survey by the United Nations revealed that people spend an estimated 40 billion hours every year walking to collect water, preventing them from engaging in other productive activities.

According to Dabane Trust, the sand abstraction system has brought water services closer to the rural people and reduced distance travelled by almost 50 percent. Women and children who mostly carry the burden of collecting water now have freer time.

The sand abstraction system has received overwhelming support from communities in Gwanda and is described as a reliable and best source of clean safe water for drinking and other purposes.

Communities have engaged in sand abstraction gardens and small-scale irrigation schemes where they grow vegetables for consumption while the surplus is sold to generate income.

“We’re thankful to Dabane Trust for providing us with clean safe drinking water. We no longer have much relish problems because we grow vegetables which we water using the sand abstraction system. Our lives have been improved, we can now pay fees for our children after selling some of our produce,” said Sinikiwe Moyo, the treasurer of Dafi Nutrition Garden in ward seven, Gqalaza village.

She said prior to the introduction of the sand abstraction system villagers had serious challenges in watering their garden as their water source, a borehole, sometimes had breakdowns.

“This is just the best technology we’ve ever seen. It’s user friendly and we’re so satisfied with it and never experienced any problems since its installation in 2005. It’s also closer to our garden,” Moyo said.

Taboka Dhlamini of Sizeze village in ward eight who is the ward’s water and sanitation subcommittee secretary said before the installation of these water technologies, people and animals competed for water dug on river beds.

“We’ve been relieved now and we’re now accessing clean and safe drinking water. We don’t have boreholes closer to us thus we were given some tablets to purify the water we collected from the wells we dug on river beds to make it safe for drinking. Sometimes livestock would drink and urinate in these shallow wells we dig leaving the water with an unpleasant smell. We would then be forced to dig another well again,” she said.

Through sand abstraction systems, Dabane has not only provided clean water for domestic use but also for livestock watering.

At each water point, Dabane also sets up a livestock drinking trough, providing water for livestock.

Farmers described this as a noble initiative which has to a greater extent helped improve and maintain good animal condition.

“Sand abstraction systems have helped improve general livestock condition because now our animals drink clean water which is free from any harmful microorganisms or bacteria. The livestock don’t have any harmful elements in their digestive systems hence their health improves,” said a farmer Peter Gasha Nyathi.

He said it has also cut down the distance travelled by livestock to the water points.

Nyathi said in the past years, during drought periods, animal condition deteriorated because of thirst.

“We’ve even noted that our livestock look much healthier than those in areas where they’re still experiencing water problems.”