Ulita is washing her clothes in a bucket, two and a half hours from home. Water is limited in her village, so she attended a church service to do her laundry where water was available.
In Village 5, where Ulita lives, people fetch laundry and drinking water from the Runde River, “when we are lucky to find it,” she said. The water is often contaminated, posing significant health risks. Ulita knows this well. She shared, “Water is hard to come by, though we’ve been told we could contract cholera, we still drink it.”
As she works hard scrubbing her clothes, she highlights the need for improved access to clean water in the area. Ulita says that the available water sources are often polluted with sewage from Zvishavane.
In 2023, our Relief and Development partner, Showers of Blessing installed a solar borehole in Gwemvurachena village. It has been providing approximately 500 people with access to safe drinking water. Many people, like Ulita, walk daily from their village to collect water from this borehole site.
“This site has eased our burden as we can now access clean water from the well,” Ulita says gratefully. Elisha is washing her clothes next to Ulita and says, “I also benefit from the borehole because I live close to it.”
Now standing, holding wet clothes, Ulita urges Showers of Blessing to install a borehole in her village, noting that their neighbouring villages also lack reliable water sources.
Many people, like Ulita, don’t have access to safe water near their homes. When you support the Safe Water September challenge, you could help Showers of Blessing provide safe water close to home for people like Ulita.
Donate at www.safewaterseptember.org.au
Showers of Blessing’s project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).