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Namibia Red Cross Society brings clean water to thousands of the Himba community in the Kunene Region

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Namibia
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Namibia Red Cross
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by Rosemary Nalisa

The Namibia Red Cross Society has made the phrase “water is life ‘, a reality for thousands of people in the Kunene Region where it has constructed 300 water pumps and 50 wells, giving the community access to portable water. The Namibia Red Cross also rehabilitated 25 springs. The project that is being implemented with financial support from the Swedish and Belgian-Flanders Red Cross Societies is involved in the protection of springs as well as the protection and rehabilitation of water pumps in selected areas and communities.

The boreholes are usually handed over to the community after completion and the beneficiaries have to take ownership of the water points through water point committees. The committees are tasked with the responsibilities of ensuring that the pumps are well maintained and repairs are done accordingly. The committee members have different responsibilities. Matjituavi Tjiposa is a handyperson trained in repairing hand pumps installed by the Namibia Red Cross Society and has been doing this job since 2003.

“We are very grateful to the Namibia Red Cross Society that constructed these boreholes for us, as now we are drinking water that is clean and safe and free of contamination. We just come with buckets and jerry cans to get water from the pump, unlike in the past when we had to get water straight from the springs and still had to boil it or clean it before it is used.” Said Tjiposa.

She added that being a woman, the burden has been lifted as the water is closer and some of the diseases that troubled members of her family and her community due to unclean water have been minimized. Regarding her involvement in the maintenance of the water pump, Tjiposa noted that being a woman in a male dominated community she feels honoured through this gesture and is happy to continue maintaining water points with the assistance of other two ladies, Jakurama Tjiposa and Uaijaike Tjiposa who all live in the Omuangete Village in the Opuwo Constituency.

Tjiposa also commended the Red Cross for empowering the community through its hygiene promotion programme whereby communities are encouraged to practice basic hygiene such as washing their hands regularly after using the toilet or before eating, sleeping in mosquito nets to protect themselves from contracting Malaria and keeping their environment clean at all times.

Meanwhile a teacher at the Otjivero Combined School welcomed the drilling of boreholes especially at the school noting that it has contributed to high attendance of classes by learners at all times. Kumauii Tjikotoke says in the past the learners had to walk long distances to go and collect water and would in the process miss out on hours of learning. According to her, the learners and the community were in the past faced with health problems such as diarhoea and skin diseases, which has since been reduced due to the improvement in the condition of the water.

The Regional Manager of the Namibia Red Cross Society in the Kunene Region, Kakarandua Mutambo is concerned about the continuous break down of the pumps. She attributes the situation to children who might not be using the pumps properly or misusing them. She is however happy that the Namibia Red Cross Society has improved the water and sanitation situation in the Kunene Region with the implementation of the WATSAN project.