SKAT Foundation based in Switzerland acts as the Secretariat of the global Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) which has an interest in researching and promoting various low-cost rural water supply technologies that are grouped under the term ‘Self-Supply’. Africa AHEAD has been implementing ‘self supply’ as a matter of course for many years as families have upgraded thousands of open wells by protecting them with a cement slab and windlass with a bucket for drawing water. Since 1995 when protected family wells were introduced by Mvuramanzi Trust, an NGO founded by Anthony Waterkeyn, and Peter Morgan, supported by Wateraid. Since that time our CHC programme particularly in Makoni district in Manicaland province of Zimbabwe, has been promoting this method with communities.
The first phase of ‘Self supply’ project was completed successfully by the end of 2017 and a second phase started in mid-2018, with another 25 CHCs established. Another 40 water-points – upgraded family wells fitted will be fitted with locally fabricated rope-washer pumps. This upgrading will be completed by local families (and clusters of families) who are encouraged to complete their wells in this way entirely at their own cost.
This CHC/Self-Supply project is expected to provide a catalytic impact in Zimbabwe by demonstrating to practitioner in the WASH sector the impact of low-cost and sustainable rural water supply options. It is hoped that this relatively small project in Makoni will then be replicated to other parts of Zimbabwe. This replication will also depend on whether funds once again flow to the WASH Sector and if donors will now have renewed faith in Zimbabwe now that elections have been held.