A huge water project is finally fixing a chronic crisis for thousands in Binga. A major rehabilitation of a sixty-five-kilometer pipeline in Mlibizi, led by the Zimbabwe government and the United Nations Development Programme with UK support, now delivers clean water to over forty thousand people, ten schools, and two rural health centers in one of the country's most climate-vulnerable districts.
The impact is transformative, especially at places like Siansundu Rural Health Centre, where staff previously begged patients to fetch water from boreholes. Nurse Gideon Muzamba explained that running water in wards and the labor room has revolutionized hygiene and infection control. At schools like Bunsiwa Primary, students have clean drinking water and handwashing stations for the first time, while newly installed solar power extends the learning day. The system also supports a twenty-hectare irrigation scheme and community gardens, aiming to boost food security and household incomes.
While the project marks a massive turnaround after decades of neglect, challenges persist. Muzamba pointed out that some surrounding communities remain unconnected, calling for an expansion of the pipeline, and noted that broken solar lighting at health facilities still needs repair to ensure full nighttime operation.
The impact is transformative, especially at places like Siansundu Rural Health Centre, where staff previously begged patients to fetch water from boreholes. Nurse Gideon Muzamba explained that running water in wards and the labor room has revolutionized hygiene and infection control. At schools like Bunsiwa Primary, students have clean drinking water and handwashing stations for the first time, while newly installed solar power extends the learning day. The system also supports a twenty-hectare irrigation scheme and community gardens, aiming to boost food security and household incomes.
While the project marks a massive turnaround after decades of neglect, challenges persist. Muzamba pointed out that some surrounding communities remain unconnected, calling for an expansion of the pipeline, and noted that broken solar lighting at health facilities still needs repair to ensure full nighttime operation.
