Suko has been waiting for her life to begin for a long time. She wants to start a garden, look after animals, provide for her children’s school fees, build a house and earn a better income. Everything was put on hold because one crucial thing was missing: water.
Collecting water was disheartening and time-consuming for Suko. Living in rural Zimbabwe, she walked three kilometres every day to the closest water source. She waited in line for hours to collect a restricted amount of water, paying a fee for the water, she carried the water for three kilometres back home. It is a challenging task.
“It was very difficult for us.” Suko said. “We find that the whole day was spent fetching water,” The water was also expensive for Suko, who didn’t have much income.
Once home, the water was prioritised for drinking and cooking. Cleaning her house and clothes would have to wait. Any water left wouldn’t be enough to complete the tasks. This led to poor hygiene and sanitation in her household.
Without a clean water supply nearby, many of Suko’s dreams would have to wait, too. She could never create the life she wanted. Earning an income, building a house, and even spending time with her family were out of reach. So much of her time needed to be spent collecting water that Suko and her family were forced to put things on hold.
Then, one day, life began to change for Suko.
Our partner, Showers of Blessing, installed two boreholes in Suko’s village. Now she only walks 500 metres to a safe, clean water source!
It has helped her whole community to better their livelihoods.
Suko is delighted! There are no queues, and the water is free. She doesn’t have to follow the strict rules for how much water she can collect or worry about whether she can afford it. Water is in plenty of supply.
Now, there is enough water to drink, cook, and clean her house. “I can now wash my dresses!” she says happily.
Suko also has lots of chickens roaming in her garden. You can even hear the sound of goats and donkeys!
Vusimusi, her husband, shared, “We plant vegetables like onions, tomatoes and fruit trees like peaches, guavas and bananas.” They have a good harvest. “We get lots of tomatoes to sell to our neighbours,” adds Suko. She enjoys watering the garden.
The borehole has also helped the family to spend more time together, “I spend a lot of time with my family now that water is close to home,” reported Suko.
Suko is hopeful for the future, “Water is plenty; there are many projects I wish to do.”
Easy access to safe water, thanks to the boreholes, has given Suko and her family a new life! They can attend to their hygiene, grow food in their garden and keep animals. They can earn additional income and invest in their future.
All because of water.
It has also given life to the greater community who have been busy making bricks and building their houses.
“It is now possible for us to live where there is water.” reflected Vusimusi. “Without water there is no life.”
Showers of Blessing Trust's (OSBT) project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
