Our International Project Direct, Sigrid, has just brought us some exciting news about our co-sponsoring Water and Sanitation Project in Zimbabwe. Sigrid has just spent several very hectic, but also very rewarding weeks visiting and working with the school communities of Hwata Secondary and Muzarabani High.
These weeks culminated in official hand-over ceremonies held at each school on 11 February: at Hwata in the morning (where in addition to the water system also toilets for students and staff were built). From there all attendees moved on to Muzarabani, where another ceremony was held early in the afternoon.
The ceremonies were officiated at each school by the chairman of the School Development Committee. In attendance were:
· Mr Kagura, District School Inspector, representing the Education Department of Mashonaland Central; he was accompanied by two School Inspectors, who are responsible for visting these schools
· The Chiefs of Hwata and Muzarabani, unfortunately were unable to attend due to another important meeting in the district, but they send their official representative, Mr Marvellous Kamundaranga.
· Principals Mr Huruva Mukucha (Hwata) and Mr Phineas Jekera (Muzarabani) and their team of teachers
· Members of School Development Committee
· Students and their parents
· Mr Itai Manyere, President of Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare, accompanied by 3 past presidents and several members.
· WASH trainer, appointed by Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare, to conduct WASH training as required by the project.
· Mr Langton Nyasha, in his capacity as contractor and project manager
· Ms Sigrid Pfaffle, International Projects, RC Norwood.
The following addressed the audience:
· Chairs of the School Development Committee
· Mr Kagura, District School Inspector
· Ms Sigrid Pfaffle, RC of Norwood
· Mr Itai Manyere, Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare
· Mr Marvellous Kamundaranga, representative of the Chief – Thanking RC Norwood & Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare on behalf of the school communities.
Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare provided refreshments for attendees at both ceremonies.
Sigrid concluded that the component of the project, for which RC Norwood was responsible, has been well completed and was well recognised by the beneficiaries of both school communities and highly celebrated. Moreover, Sigrid believed that we enjoyed good cooperation with Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare, who will carry out remaining components of the project such as the WASH training of teachers and students.
Sigrid expressed her sincere thanks to all members of RC Norwood for allowing this project to occur and for their cooperation and fund raising efforts for this project for the full period, from inception through the handover ceremony.
Inside of boys’ section of student toilet block with 6 individual, lockable toilets to the left; on right – urinals and concrete handwashing sink (local council regulation stipulate the use of concrete sinks for improved sustainability).
“final touches” – building constructor and project manager, Langton Nyasha fixes 4 signs brought from Australia onto the walls of the two toilet buildings and onto water tank towers at each school. The signs show the contributions of Rotary Club of Norwood and Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare to the provision of safe water & sanitation to schools in Mashonaland Central. The signs also emphasise the importance of safe drinking water and sanitation “as a human right, essential for a life and dignity…. And the foundation for achieving other human rights, including the right to health and the right to education.”
Guests inspecting water system: 2x 5,000l towers installed on 6m tall stands to gravity feed reticulation pipes to water stations across the school campus. Being placed in a shady location, the tanks will provide cool water throughout the typically hot days at Hwata Secondary School. students and for staff.
After all the official speeches were done, all attendees of the ceremony inspected the water and sanitation facilities provided. Picture shows inside of student toilet block, girls section, with 6 individual, lockable toilet cubicles on the right plus 1 shower cubicle at end of section. Sigrid (front) talking with Rufaro Chivauru, past president Rotary E-Club D9210 of Harare and Project Director, responsible for Water & Sanitation project and the WASH Trainer, appointed by Rufaro and her Rotary Club.
Students on a typically hot day accessing safe drinking water from one of several taps provided across the campus – before the installation of the new water systems, water needed to be pumped by hand from an old, remote well, which only produced poor quality water (salty, brown and only productive for several months each year). It needed the strength of 3-4 children to fill a bucket of water, which then needed to be carried across the campus towards the classroom blocks .(see image “old well” attached).
Students of Hwata Secondary, singing a traditional song to celebrate the hand-over to the school of the water system (borehole, electric pump, 2x 5,000l tanks on stands to gravity feed water to water stations [taps and sinks] across the campus) and newly constructed toilet blocks for students and for staff.