Malawi: River Lichenya salvages Bando

George Mhango
February 21, 2012

Today, several rivers and streams in Africa are playing a vital role not only in water supply but also power generation, although there are pros and cons as far as local ecosystems are concerned. One of such rivers is Lichenya in Malawi.

As George Mhango reports, waters of river Lichenyi could help to end deforestation; poor health and promote businesses in Bando.

Leticia Namwendo, 48, walks a distance of eight kilometers to have her maize grounded so she has food for her husband and six children and grandchildren.

The walking issue aside, Namwendo has to spend time fetching firewood in the prohibitive Mulanje Mountain due to conservation rules or being forced to buy, source money to buy paraffin and candles so her children can study 24/7.

“I occasionally have no money for firewood to meet cooking needs or even buy paraffin and candles so my children can study. The situation is unbearable,” she says.

Namwendo further says for a woman in Bondo, sewing and other activities by candlelight or kerosene lamps is the common reality after daylight hours,” she observes.

Some of the women carrying sand from the river and heaping at the central place where a tractor collects for construction works at the scheme

Continued use of candles and kerosene is also, contrary to the World Bank in 2008 which says kerosene lamps not only offers poor light but are also known to be the cause of a host of health problems in women and children. The report further says kerosene is a highly flammable dangerous fossil fuel that emits vapors. “If kerosene is accidentally ingested, the vapors can cause coughing, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, unconsciousness and respiratory problems,” it says.
Loveness Phamba, 42, a mother of five also says women face problems each time staff at Bondo health centre refer them to Mulanje District Hospital because either the equipment need electricity or there is no medical expert.

“The nearby health centre is also affected because most of the medical equipment needs electricity. Even preserving guava, pineapples, and oranges for business purposes to sustain our daily life cannot work,” Phamba states.

She notes that the area of Bondo is rich in a pineapple and banana and other perishable crops which if well preserved could boost one’s lifestyle people and become self reliant.

Phamba explains that most people grow a lot of fruits which should have been processed right there only if commercial farmers and communities were connected.

“We are losing a lot in terms of gaining cash from what we grow such as bananas, sugarcanes, avoid pears pineapples, tomatoes and more citrus fruits,” she says.

Namwendo and Phamba are among thousands of people who are not yet connected to the national power grid by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) or the Rural Electrification Programme currently in the sixth phase, according to the authorities.

Lack of power in Bondo and many other villages in senior chief Mabuka translates into complete darkness at night or limited light generated by candles or kerosene lamps.

Problems that communities face vindicate that only 8% of the country’s 13 million people are connected to the national power grid, a source of power that has become increasingly unreliable due to power blackouts.

However, such power related hiccups would be history following the construction of a micro hydro power project by Mulanje Renewable Energy Agency as an implementing institution on behalf of Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT).

Construction of machine foundation in the Power House underway at the Power House

Most people feel this would bring sigh of relief because the project is likely to generate 88 megawatts for use by 4000 families in the area where communities did not even dream of being connected to the national grid any time sooner.

The project pegged at K60 million funding from the European Union (EU) will generate 75 kilowatts of power using Lichenya River whose source is Mulanje Mountain. The power will be provided to direct and indirect beneficiaries by March, 2012.

MuREA Projects coordinator, Vincent Gondwe says that the amount caters for salaries and buying of power generation equipment and construction.

“Almost 4000 households and business enterprises are to be connected in the first phase. Community assets such as Kabichi Primary, Malowa CDSS and Bondo Health Centre should have power during the first phase,” he said.

Gondwe added that currently, canals have been completed, power house of electricity adding that the necessary equipment for generation of electricity is available.

“Currently, we are working on transmission lines. We have requested the Department of Forestry in Mulanje to provide us with poles after we discovered that metal poles were costly. Imagine, one metal pole costs K 45 000,” Gondwe said.

The steering committee says that those with no cash but have agricultural produce will do the barter system to ensure more communities are connected.

“While we want to deal with deforestation, our major priority is also to bring electricity to the health centre, schools and business entities. At the same time we shall encourage households to use stoves that consume less firewood and charcoal,” Gondwe stated.

He said there is a small provision of money for business centres to buy electrical appliances such as refrigerators and entertainment sets for their business to improve.

“Not all will benefit from the small provision of money because some of them are well to do due to the growth of bananas, tea and other agricultural products,” Gondwe hinted.

MuREA Project officer, Horace Lumbe also said the power project seeks to restrain people from cutting down trees in the tourist destination district in the name of searching for firewood.

“People will have to use electricity in their homes, business premises and public facilities such as schools and health centres. Previously, tree conservation in Mulanje mountain was a problem hence the idea by MMCT to have the project,” Lumbe said.

“We are busy with excavation of pits in all the seven villages where poles will be erected. So far poles have been treated so as to increase their lifespan,” he stated.

Communities and public officials are now urged to contract recognised electrical companies to wire their houses, offices and business premises before any connection.

The micro-hydro power project is one of the sixteen schemes that will be implemented in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Malawi will have another such scheme once the pilot phase of connecting 400 families in senior chief Mabuka is finished.

Gondwe said those who are part of the construction committee have since left for Zimbabwe where similar initiatives are in progress just to exchange ideas on the project.

The micro hydro power project is just in line with the continued Presidential directive made during the launch of the forestry season for generation of electricity in rural areas to counter issues of climate change, land and environmental degradation.

Most communities in the area have spoken in praise of the micro-hydro power project saying besides improved business opportunities, women will not have difficulties when attending to maternal services at a Bondo health centre in the area.
Nearly 95% of the country’s electricity supply is provided by hydropower from a cascading group of interconnected hydroelectric power plants located on the middle part of the Shire River, which flows through the Mwabvi Wildlife reserve in the south, and a mini-hydro in the northern region on the Wovwe River.

Lusaka: Goodbye my Shallow Well

February 13, 2012
VIOLET MENGO

WITH smile on his face Austin Goma, 40 opens a tap at one of the newly constructed water kiosks in Mtendere East. The flow of water is a clear demonstration of the residents’ farewell to the challenges of water supply experienced for many years.

Goma’s joy and that of his community comes as a sense of fulfilment that they will no longer spend hours looking for water, nor will they have to depend on shallow wells anymore.

“The provision of water to Mtendere East means reduction in water and sanitation related illness for our community especially children, it is a dream come true,” he says.

Goma smiling as he helps the women in his community draw water from one of ther constructed water kiosks. Here community members pay K100, for a 20 litre and one can draw as much as they want in a day

Goma, a father of four says his family has been among the most affected in the community as they did not have access to water supply. They would buy and also use shallow well water which was a common practice in the area.

He says with the water kiosks, one is able to pay K100, per 20 litre container unlike in the past where they would pay K200 per container from individual connections. Although he says it is manageable, some members of the community still feel it is expensive.

Apart from serving money, the community which is involved in informal type of work will have more time to be productive and also school going children will no longer miss class because they have to help their parents draw water.

For Mtendere East, having sustainable water supply is in itself is a success story as the area has for many years not known what it means to have access to safe drinking water. For those that dug shallow well, diarrhoea diseases were common while those with individual connections overpriced their neighbours.

The incidence of water and sanitation related diseases remains high and this is worsened by the high poverty level as most people work in informal sector. Among the common diseases that were prone to the area include dysentery, Cholera and Typhoid.

Mtendere East is one of the poorest settlements in Lusaka with a population of 78 000 which adds up to the 65 percent of people living in Lusaka’s peri urban areas. 56 percent do not have access to acceptable quality water supply.

Today, many people can no longer go to fetch water from shallow wells nor will any individual exploit the other. Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) has provided them water for the improvement of their living standards.

Goma who is also the Community Board Water Trust Chairman says residents are excited with the provision of water and have already started seeing the benefits of clean supply of water.

“Water enhances people’s lives, in a more positive way- less disease outbreak, more productivity and general health people,” he says.

LWSC through a partnership with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), CARE Zambia, the Australian government development agency and the members of the community have seen the successful implementation of the K8.7 billion water, sanitation and hygiene promotion project.

Two boreholes have been drilled, a ground water distribution tank, and 15 kiosks to service approximately over 30 000 people.

The water supply system design has the potential to reach the whole of Mtendere east, Kalikiliki and the surrounding areas to a grand total of 150 000 people.

The beauty about the project is that it is participatory focusing on community participation and capacity building of all stakeholders as an integral part to ensure its sustainability.

“Water vendors have been trained to operate and maintain kiosks, while water trust personnel have been trained in operation, maintenance and management of community based water supply and sanitation schemes,” LWSC Public Relations Manager Topsy Sikainda says.

Sikainda says the community water trust looks at the day to day running of the operations of the project on behalf of LWSC. This is one way of allowing the community members to own the project and ensure its sustainability.

He added that community members have so far appreciated the provision of water and have taken ownership by ensuring that the facilities are well maintained.

In terms of health and hygiene promotion, LWSC has deliberately targeted school going children and young mothers’ teaching them the benefits of hand washing and other good hygiene practices to help break the faecal oral route.

The nelwy constructed 300 cubic metres ground distribution water tank built in the heart of Mtendere East Township. It is expected to service the whole community

The minister of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Professor Nkandu Luo during the launch of the project last month, urged the residents to maintain the facilities so that the community has a steady supply of clean low cost water.

“Maintaining high standards of hygiene at household level and safe guarding communal water points will keep water related diseases at bay and save residents from unnecessary health related costs,” Prof Luo said.

National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) Public Relations Officer Rose Tembo says the currently the National water coverage for urban and peri urban areas is at 75 percent.

She says water supply and sanitation has received low budgetary allocation of up three percent of the National budget, with most Commercial Utilities having challenges with infrastructure which are either run down or obsolete.

“It is gratifying that government has prioritized water and sanitation and we are hopeful that with government support, provision of water supply and sanitation would be accelerated,” Tembo says.

NWASCO, a water supply and sanitation regulator established in 2000 ensure that efficiency and sustainability of water and sanitation service provision.

Tembo says the bad culture of not paying for water has also adversely affected the operations of the Commercial Utilities.

She explained that NWASCO certifies that the quality of the service and the pricing is regulated to protect the consumer from exploitation.

“Providers left to themselves would want to operate in financially lucrative areas leaving out a large number of people without access to clean water and sanitation services,” she says.

With the involved of various stakeholders in the provision of water, especially the Mtendere project, Goma and his community will wear the smiles of their faces for a very long time.

West Africa: Electronic Wastes pose danger to the region

UNEP and Water Journalists Africa
12 February 2012

West Africa faces a rising tide of e-waste generated by domestic consumption of new and used electrical and electronic equipment, according to a new United Nations report.

Domestic consumption makes up the majority (up to 85 percent) of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) produced in the region, according to the study, Where are WEEE in Africa?

The e-waste problem in West Africa is further exacerbated by an ongoing stream of used equipment from industrialised countries, significant volumes of which prove unsuitable for re-use and contribute further to the amount of e-waste generated locally.

Not so many people know that their old electronic devices could make them sick

In the five countries studied in the UN report (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria), between 650,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of domestic e-waste are generated each year, which need to be managed to protect human health and the environment in the region.

Where are WEEE in Africa? sheds light on current recycling practices and on socio-economic characteristics of the e-waste sector in West Africa. It also provides the quantitative data on the use, import and disposal of electronic and electrical equipment in the region.

The report draws on the findings of national e-waste assessments carried out in the five countries from 2009 to 2011.

“Effective management of the growing amount of e-waste generated in Africa and other parts of the world is an important part of the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient Green Economy”, said United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary General Achim Steiner.

“We can grow Africa’s economies, generate decent employment and safeguard the environment by supporting sustainable e-waste management and recovering the valuable metals and other resources locked inside products that end up as e-waste. In the run-up to Rio+20 in June, this report shows how measures such as improved collection strategies and establishing more formal recycling structures, can limit environmental damage and provide economic opportunities,” added Mr. Steiner.

Risks and Opportunities of E-Waste

The use of electrical and electronic equipment is still low in Africa compared to other regions of the world, but it is growing at a staggering pace. The penetration rate of personal computers in Africa, for example, has increased by a factor of 10 in the last decade, while the number of mobile phone subscribers has increased by a factor of 100.

Electrical and electronic equipment can contain hazardous substances (e.g. heavy metals such as mercury and lead, and endocrine disrupting substances such as brominated flame retardants).

Hazardous substances are released during various dismantling and disposal operations and are particularly severe during the burning of cables to liberate copper and of plastics to reduce waste volumes. Open burning of cables is a major source of dioxin emissions, a persistent organic pollutant that travels over long-distances that bio-accumulates in organisms up through the global food chain.

Electrical and electronic equipment also contains materials of strategic value such as indium and palladium and precious metals such as gold, copper and silver. These can be recovered and recycled, thereby serving as a valuable source of secondary raw materials, reducing pressure on scarce natural resources, as well as minimizing the overall environmental footprint.

The report, which was prepared by the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and partners, also documents the economic and environmental potential of building a sound resource recovery and waste management system for e-waste, along with the risks of continuing on the present course.

“E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream world-wide and a key waste stream under the Basel Convention. Dealing with electronic and electrical equipment properly presents a serious environmental and health challenge for many countries, yet also offers a potentially significant opportunity to create green businesses and green jobs,” said Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Dangers of electronic waste cannot be ignored any longer

The report examined the flows of EEE and e-waste between Europe and West Africa. Among the major findings:
• In Ghana in 2009, investigators found that around 70% of all EEE imports were used EEE; 30% of second-hand imports were estimated to be non-functioning (therefore e-waste), producing about 40,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2010.
• Field investigations in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire have shown that about half of the imported used EEE is actually non-functional and non-repairable, thus defined as import of e-waste.
• An analysis of 176 containers of two categories of used electrical and electronic equipment imported into Nigeria, conducted from March to July 2010, revealed that more than 75% of all containers came from Europe, approximately 15% from Asia, 5% from African ports (mainly Morocco) and 5% from North America. A similar distribution could be observed in Ghana, where 85% of used EEE imports originated in Europe, 4% in Asia, 8% in North America, and 3% from other destinations.
• The UK is the dominant exporting country to Africa for both new and used EEE, followed with large gaps by France and Germany. Nigeria is the most dominant African importing country for new and used EEE, followed by Ghana.

Child Labour Concerns

The exposure to hazardous substances in and around dismantling sites causes manifold health and safety risks for collectors, recyclers and neighbouring communities. Children’s health in particular may be at risk. Child labour is common in West Africa’s scrap metal business, the report’s investigators found. Collection and dismantling activities are carried out by children from the age of 12, however younger children from the age of five are sometimes engaged in light work, including dismantling of small parts and sorting of materials.

In contrast to the informal recycling sector, where collection and recycling of e-waste is almost exclusively carried out by individuals largely consisting of migrant labourers who are often stigmatized in African societies as ‘scavengers’, refurbishment is viewed as a relatively attractive economic opportunity for an increasingly well-educated, semi-professional labour force. In Accra (Ghana) and Lagos (Nigeria), the refurbishing sector provides income to more than 30,000 people.

“Sustainable solutions for e-waste management in Africa require measures aimed at imports and exports control, collection and recycling, policy and legislation that incorporate extended producer responsibility, recognize the important role of the informal sector, promote awareness raising and education, as well as compliance monitoring and enforcement. Appropriate health and safety measures for those involved in recycling, as well as environmentally sound practices, should be ensured,” said Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, Director of Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Center for Africa, a co-author of the report.

The report was prepared by the Secretariat of the Basel Convention in cooperation with the Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Centre for the African Region (BCCC-Nigeria) based in Nigeria and the Basel Convention Regional Centre for French-speaking countries in Africa (BCRC-Senegal) based in Senegal, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), the Institute for Applied Ecology (the Öko-Institut), the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) and the governments of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

Copies of the report, Where are WEEE in Africa? Findings from the Basel Convention E-waste Africa Programme, can be downloaded from www.basel.int

Cameroon: 3000 inhabitants of Eyumojock Council Area Receive Pipe Borne Water

Lum Edith Achamukong
February 06 2012

A project to supply pipe borne water in the Eyumojock Council Area in Manyu Division of the South West Region has been completed and handed over to the local populations.

The project was realized thanks to financial assistance from the Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM) to the tune of one hundred and seventy five million FCFA.

For a period of one year, stand taps were effectively constructed to serve the communities of Akak, Okoroba and Mbinda Tabo of the Obang clan and Otu village of the Ejagham Njemaya in Eyumokock sub division.

At a ceremony to receive the water projects, the Mayor of the Eyumokock Rural Council Mr. James Agbor Mbi said the project is his priority considering the water needs of the about three thousand people of his municipality. He thus called on them to protect the water sources and support the water management committee.

Prior to the project to supply water to the people using stand taps, the Eyumojock council had drilled some 20 wells and boreholes as a measure to alleviate the water crisis rocking the Council Area.

Sanitation around water sources is pivotal

The donation from FEICOM comes a few months after the launch of the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Project to raise the potable water access rate from the current 33% to 60% in the South West Region and three other regions of Cameroon. It is expected to generate a change of attitude and behavior with respect to hygiene and health, within the beneficiary community, and the average prevalence rate for diseases associated with the lack of safe water and sanitation will decline by 30% from 19% to 13.5% during this period. Hence the project will meet the drinking needs of 668.000 inhabitants and prompt a change of behavior with regards to hygiene and health.

The goal of the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Project is to support Government efforts to increase access to drinking water and sanitation and strengthen the sector’s managerial capacity. It falls under the implementation of the Cameroon Government’s 2008-2015 action plan whose ultimate goal is to raise rural drinking water and sanitation access rates to 80% and 60% respectively.

The project covers four regions in Cameroon namely the West, North West South West and South Regions. The main expected outputs of this project are: the rehabilitation and construction of 88 drinking water supply networks, the construction of 285 six-compartment ventilated pit latrines in schools and health centers, 1332 single-compartment ventilated pit latrines on private plots and 2 gender sensitive toilet complexes in the South and North West Regions respectively, training and awareness raising for beneficiary communities on drinking water use, sanitation and hygiene and capacity building for sector management structures.

About 750.000 inhabitants (52% women) are expected to start using improved latrines. The institutional structures involved in project implementation namely the councils, National enterprises and consultancy firms, community interest groups and women’s associations will also benefit from the project. The project will create about 300 non permanent jobs during implementation and 154 permanent jobs at completion.

The African Development Fund will shoulder 87% of the financial responsibility while Cameroon will take charge of 13%.

East Africa Passes Bill on Transboundary Ecosystems

Anita Matsika
February 01, 2012

East African Legislative Assembly sitting in Kampala, Uganda has passed the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystems Bill 2010. The Bill which sailed through the 3rd Reading now moves an inch closer to becoming a law of the Community.

If signed into law by partner heads of state, it shall ensure sustainable utilization of shared resources.

Apart from Lake Victoria, the largest of all African Lakes which is also the second widest freshwater body in the world, other shared terrestrial ecosystems of East Africa include wetlands, forest ecosystems and protected wildlife ecosystems.

Satellite image of Lake Victoria, one of the shared terrestrial ecosystems of East Africa

The Bill whose debate was suspended last year received overwhelming support when it came up for debate on the floor of the House. The Council of Ministers had in September 2011 during the 1st Meeting of the 5th Session held in Kigali, Rwanda, requested more time to consult. The adjournment was further stayed in November 2011 during the subsequent 2nd Meeting of the 5th Session held in Bujumbura, Burundi.

Key among the concerns of the Council of Ministers was the need to clarify the mandate of the envisaged Commission for the management of transboundary ecosystems vis-a-vis existing institutions. At the same time, Council felt there was an imminent conflict on matters of land given the fact that such matters remain a preserve of the Partner States as stated in the Common Market Protocol.

The object of the Bill originally moved by Dr. George Francis Nangale is to provide for a legal framework to effectively streamline the management of trans-boundary eco-systems with a view to enhancing the quality of the environment and also ensure sustainable utilization of shared natural resources in the EAC. It seeks to provide for the management and regulation of transboundary ecosystems to establish a Commission managing ecosystems in the region and other related matters.

In his contribution Gervase Akhaabi noted that the passage of the Bill would protect the livelihoods and manage the resources while Hon Christopher Nakuleu termed the Bill timely for the region if the EAC was to protect its natural resources.

Dr. Aman Kabourou however stated the law would contradict national policies. “ While I am not against protecting our shared eco-systems including Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa basin, we have to be careful so as not to contradict existing policies and laws in the respective Partner States,” Kabourou remarked.

On his part, Augustine C.L Lotodo noted that the EAC Transboundary Ecosystems Bill clearly addressed matters of common interest in natural resources which EALA was duty bound to support. .

Lydia Wanyoto stated that the law would help the EAC harness its natural resources for posterity since it among other areas sought to manage future conflicts on the shared regional resources.

According to Sebalu the Bill is a well thought-out law that manages the transboundary ecosystem s for mutual benefit of the region. “It is important for Partner States to cede sovereignty so that expectations of the East African people are met”, Sebalu remarked stating the law fully acknowledged and complemented the national laws and institutions on issues of transboundary nature.

Other MPs who rose in support of the Bill were Catherine Kimura, Dr. Said Bilal, Dora Byamukama and Leonce Ndarubagiye. Dr. F.L Masha and Dr Kabourou recorded reservations in the interesting debate that lasted close to six hours.

The Bill shall now go through the succeeding stages of assent with the Speaker of the Assembly expected to submit the amended /Assent copies to the Heads of State for assent. Should it be assented (signed) to by the five Heads of State, then it shall become law.

Zambia: Tribulations and triumphs of Mines Privatization

Newton Sibanda
January 30, 2012

The privatization of the mines has dealt a huge blow to residents of former mine townships that practically depended on the mining conglomerate for basic services such as water and sanitation.

Prior to the privatization of the mines, the mining conglomerate-Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) maintained water and sanitation facilities in mining townships.

But following privatization, the facilities have not been maintained. In fact, they are not only in a state of disrepair, but have also been subjected to wanton vandalism.

In Kitwe’s sprawling Wusakile Township, the problem of sanitation is so serious that the township has earned itself a notorious vernacular unprintable, in reference to the indiscriminate disposal of human waste.

A makeshift bathroom. Few people in developing countries are familiar with the dangerous health risks their families face due to their poor sanitary facilities.

Dilapidated infrastructures without roofs and doors, complete with maggots are very much part of the communal ablution blocks, commonly known as ichi pub, a corruption for public toilets.

This is what residents of this township have to do with, which not only makes them vulnerable to water borne diseases but also strips them of their dignity.

Left with no option, they squat in the near makeshift toilets even in the glare of daylight and step on maggots spread around the ablution blocks.

Tina Sikombe of Wusakile B2 section recalls the good old days when ZCCM maintained the ablution blocks in the former mine township.
Mrs Sikombe, whose husband is self-employed, now has endured the poor sanitary conditions.

“We have a water problem, so children fail to go into the communal toilets and just squat outside. That is why you can see maggots all over,” she says.

But that is not all. The residents have a litany of problems, including being deprived of their dignity as they are reduced to using dilapidated ablutions.

“We have no option but to use what is available to us. We just put our hands on the door way and the children can see that there is an adult in the toilet,” Mrs Sikombe says.

“Sometimes, we just cough to alert whoever is coming or just cover our heads with chitenge material. This is so embarrassing,” she said.

Mrs Sikombe is not alone in this predicament. Christine Kalunga is chairperson of Wusakile B2 neighborhood group and acknowledges the poor water and sanitation conditions in the township.

“The water pipes are blocked, so we have to walk long distances to draw water from B4 section,” Mrs Kalunga, whose husband is a miner, says.

But she is even more concerned about the poor sanitation.
“Ablution blocks were working well during the ZCCM days but they have been vandalized. There is no water, no roof and no doors,” Mrs. Kalunga says.

“But these are the ablution blocks we have to use and we have big children who know what is going on. It is really embarrassing,” she says.

Mrs Kalunga says women are at the risk of being sexually assaulted as they go out to answer the call of nature, especially in the night.

She says sometimes, men waylay the women using the ablution blocks in the night.

The sanitation woes have even given rise to superstition. Mrs. Kalunga says she saw a ghost while she was in the toilet.
“I ran with pants on my knees,” she says.

But the plight of Mrs. Kalunga and others may soon be history, thanks to Mopani Copper Mines Plc which completed the first phase of its Sanitation Infrastructure project in Wusakile Township last year and announced the start of the second phase of construction.

The project, which involved the construction of 1,379 sanitation units in collaboration with the Zambian Government and Nkana Water and Sewerage Company, commenced in April last year. Each unit consists of a toilet, a shower and a washing basin.

In addition to the sanitation units, Mopani constructed 15.7 kilometers of sewer lines and laid 31.5 kilometers of fresh water pipes. These new facilities and sewer/water networks were constructed at a cost of US$3 million (K15 billion) to service the sanitation infrastructure, which will benefit residents who will now have access to better and more hygienic toilets, showers and clean drinking water.

With the first phase of the project completed on October 15 last year, Mopani has handed over the facilities to Nkana Water and Sewerage Company who have, in turn, handed them over to individual households.

The second phase of the project, which covers two sections in Wusakile township, will have a further total of 288 sanitation units at an estimated cost of US$800,000 (K4 billion).
These works commenced in October last year.

The second phase of construction will bring the total number of units provided by Mopani to 1,667.

Danny Callow, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mopani Copper Mines, says: “We remain committed to our resolve to give back to the community in areas we operate from, and, more so, to enhance health. Furthermore, we support the Government’s policy to improve the general well-being of all Zambians”.

“The completion of the second phase will reduce the incidence of typhoid fever in Wusakile township. The recurrence of typhoid had to be tackled: the community was becoming ill due to the continued use of dilapidated communal toilets which were meant for fewer people than the current number of people using them. This will now be a thing of the past,” he said.

Mercy Mwansa, a widow of Wusakile B4 section is among those who have already benefited from Mopani’s generosity.

Mrs Mwansa, whose husband was a miner, recalls all the problems they encountered before Mopani built the sanitation units.
“We were using communal toilets, without doors. For the bathroom, we were forced to improvise,” she says.

“It was a long and agonizing journey to the ablution, so it was a problem when you have diarrhea. We would even queue with children and in-laws, but now we have some dignity.”

The downside, however, is theft and lack of water.

Kitwe Mines shaft in Wusakile

Cindy Mwansa, a hairdresser of Wusakile Section B4 recalls the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases before Mopani built the sanitation units.

“There were a lot of waterborne diseases but that is no more, and we now have some dignity,” says Mrs. Mwansa, a mother of five.
“The only problem is theft, so we have removed the cistern and we just pour water manually,” she says.

Her joy is shared by Florence Mwelwa.

“We would have died from diarrhoeal diseases because those ablution blocks were very unhygienic,” Mrs. Mwelwa said.

She is among the few whose households have been spared from the theft of sanitation equipment.

“I don’t know how we have survived. We are among the few,” she says.
Wusakile councilor Francis Miti says the Mopani project is a relief and will help prevent the recurrence of cholera and typhoid.

“I would like to thank Mopani for its gesture to the residents of Wusakile. Now typhoid and cholera will be history,” Mr. Miti, who is also Kitwe deputy mayor, said.

Wusakile member of parliament (MP) Richard Musukwa, while commending Mopani, cautioned the residents against vandalism.

“It is regrettable that while partners like Mopani have contributed significant financial resources to improve sanitation, vandalism has taken a high toll.

Residents of Wusakile should rise to the challenge to fight vandalism,” said Mr. Musukwa, who is also deputy minister of Mines and Natural Resources.

“The step taken by Mopani to upgrade sanitation facilities is commendable, but we need to encourage responsibility among residents, to safeguard these facilities,” he said.

Until she benefits from the benevolence of Mopani Copper Mines, Mrs. Sikombe will always reminisce the past and look to the future with a mixture of despair and hope.

For Mrs. Sikombe and others, the past represents the good old days while the present is a stark reminder of some harsh realities of life.

Zambia: Precious Water Flows in Kabushi Township

Violet Mengo
January 27, 2012

Despite the challenges associated with efforts to improve sanitation in Zambia, functioning communal toilets and taps are in sight in Ndola’s Kabushi Township following the completion of a sanitation project that will enhance hygiene for the residents. The project has brought dignity to the residents whose lives were once at risk of disease. The people can now boast of safe clean water and toilets as VIOLET MENGO reports.

IRENE Makoni, a mother of five, lost two of her children to diarrhoea. She attributes the death of her children to poor sanitation in Kabushi Township.

She admits that doctors had advised her to observe hygiene when her children were admitted to the hospital. Their illness was characterized by vomiting, fever and diarrhoea.

Another Kabushi resident, Joseph Nyirongo, has also been a victim of diarrhoea as a result of poor sanitation.

Makoni and Nyirongo are among thousands of Kabushi residents who had been living in poor sanitary conditions. Their communal flash toilets were dilapidated and this forced many family members to wake up at the crack of dawn to fetch water for cleaning their toilets.

In several communities in Africa, in order to get water, many women and children walk for hours a day, lining up to collect water from the few public taps and wells that aren't dry

Often, residents had to pay K5,000 for a 20-litre container of water, which made it hard for them to meet other basic needs. Most of the residents could not afford even a small amount to pay for water.
“We used to spend eight hours a day fetching water for the communal toilets we were using before they were closed,” Joseph Nyirongo says.

The communal toilets in Kabushi were closed by health authorities because they posed health hazards. The toilets designed decades ago, had collapsed forcing many residents to answer to the call of nature in nearby bushes.

To some, the only option was to dig pit-latrines which eventually also became full and posed a health hazard.

Dry human waste could be seen at the doorsteps of the communal toilets in the city’s high density township.

However, the situation is no longer the same. The National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) through its basket fund-Devolution Trust Fund (DTF)- provided finances for the construction of new toilets in the township.

The project, which is now complete, will help in reducing the disease burden in the area.
Approximately K4 billion Kwacha was provided for the construction of the toilets and provision of water supply.

“The lack of sanitation for Kabushi residents was not just uncomfortable – it was dangerous. Without designated toilets and bathing areas, the risk of disease grew as existing water sources and the surrounding environment became contaminated,” Gonga says.

The long awaited sanitation project will be commissioned soon. It will allow people access to water supply and clean and safe toilets.

The sanitation project involved the construction of sewerage network, domestic reactors for waste water and treatment and the construction of household toilets.

DTF is Government basket fund that provides money to water utilities across the country to improve their service delivery.

Apart from the sanitation project, people in the community have been educated on hygiene and disease prevention, waste management and general cleanliness.

“We have seen our health and cleanliness improve,” says Emmanuel Bwalya. “We are sure that with the opening of the toilets, we will no longer experience diseases as was the case before.”
The Government has long recognized the importance of this basic human right and its direct impact on the quality of life. Through DTF, Government has invested huge amounts of money to better sanitation conditions in Zambia.

The lack of sanitation has a serious impact on health and social development, especially for children.
“By improving access to safe water and sanitation, the project will improve the lives of thousands and help reduce poverty levels and medical expenses,” Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company managing director Ian Banda says.

Water is a precious resource

Banda says the project will also save women and children from spending much time fetching water.
The completion of the sanitation project in Ndola is testimony of Government’s efforts to protect people from diseases.

Globally, sanitation still remains a challenge. Of the 2.5 billion people around the globe without access to sanitation, 75 percent live in Asia and Africa.

Health experts say the absence of functioning toilets provides a springboard for the spread of diseases.
The United Nations Development Programme says a staggering two million tonnes of human waste is deposited in water courses each day across the world and half the population of the developing world is exposed to polluted water that causes disease.

It is no secret that investments in sanitation have, for decades, lagged behind investments in water supply.

Devoid of words. A story of poor latrines told in pictures

Fredrick Mugira
January 09, 2012

Lack of access to safe water and proper sanitation remain critical public health issues worldwide.

Up to 2.6 billion people live without access to effective latrines on the planet earth. This contributes to the prevalent incidence of water-related diseases, which kill a child every 15 seconds.

Clean water and sanitation are essential elements of human development and poverty alleviation, and constitute an indispensable component of primary health care.

In this story, we take you to the southwestern region of Uganda to see for yourself the state of latrines in the poor communities there.

As you will discover in the pictures, families there build dry pit latrines close to their homes. The exact design varies according to local conditions. Some are household latrines, some are communal.

In this story, you will also realize the use of unimproved pit latrines, poor conditions accompanied by bad smells and overflows, and conducive breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies. This contributes to the widespread incidences of open defecation as people prefer bushes to such latrines.

Do not be surprised to learn that this latrine in Bushenyi district is closed. The torn sack you see there is the latrine’s door.

Any strong wind can easily blow away this latrine in Mwizi Mbarara district. On top of having broken poles inside, a banana tree fell on it weakening it further. Its floor is made of soft wood which can easily break down.

The use of a piece of sack as a door on latrines is common in the region

Even this latrine in Kashari Mbarara has a piece of a sack on its entrance as a door. The latrine can easily be swept away or filled by flood waters

This latrine in Biharwe Mbarara district had no door. It is free entry and exit.

This four stance latrine belongs to a public school in Kashari Mbarara. Instead of toilet papers, pupils use leaves

This six stance latrine also belongs to a public primary school in Kashari Mbarara.

Zambia: US offers 300 million USD for improving water reticulation system in Lusaka Province

Newton Sibanda
December 12, 2011

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will give US$300 million to the government of Zambia under the Millennium Challenge project to enable it improve the water reticulation system in Lusaka Province.

Provincial Minister Miles Sampa says the project which will be undertaken by the public utility, Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), will take off during the first quarter of next year.

“Government is very grateful to the Americans and other cooperating partners for committing themselves to the improvement of water reticulation system in Lusaka,” Mr Sampa said.

Lusaka Province Minister, Miles Sampa

He was featuring on a Government Forum programme on the local Radio Phoenix.

Mr Sampa said the water reticulation system in Lusaka is obsolete and needs overhauling.

He noted that some pipes were installed before Zambia’s independence in 1964 and can no longer be repaired.

Mr Sampa said water is critical to development and that the Government will ensure that the water blues that beset Lusaka come to an end.

“People in Kafue do not have water yet they are next to the river (Kafue River),” he said.

Kafue is a small industrial town about 50 km south of the capital Lusaka and sits on the banks of the Kafue River, which accounts for over 40 percent of Zambia’s domestic water supply.

Hippos in River Kafue

The city of Lusaka draws its water from the Kafue river, which incidentally, is the country’s most polluted river.

Mr Sampa also said Government has set aside K600 billion (US$1=K5,000) in the 2012 budget that will be spent on various key areas of Lusaka province, including the water sector.

He said once the water reticulation system is re-done, cholera outbreaks-which are a common phenomenon during the rainy season- will be a thing of the past.

Zambia: High Court orders Konkola Copper Mines to pay 2 million USD for polluting River Mushishima

Newton Sibanda
December 12, 2011

In a landmark judgment, the Lusaka High Court has ordered Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to pay K10billion (US$2million) to 2000 Chingola residents on Zambia’s Copperbelt for polluting the Mushishima river.

The Mushishima is a tributary of the Kafue River, which accounts for about 40 percent of Zambia’s domestic water supply but is, unfortunately, also the country’s most polluted river.

Supreme Court judge Phillip Musonda sitting as High Court judge ordered that each of the 2000 residents be paid K4 million as general damages and K1 million as punitive damages.

He also ordered that the damages should attract the central bank’s long term deposit rate from the issuance of the writ to the day of judgment and later short-term deposit rate until payment is made.

The world's oceans and rivers are under immense pressure from pollution

In delivering judgment, Justice Musonda who castigated KCM for its irresponsible behavior said the development will deter would-be polluters from discharging poisonous substances without diminishing their potency to cause harm to the environment, human beings and animals.

In the judgment delivered on November 10, Justice Musonda said the polluting of the water by the mining company was lack of corporate social responsibility, criminal and a tipping point for corporate recklessness.

In 2007, James Nyasulu and others sued KCM, the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ), now Zambia Environmental management Agency (ZEMA) and Chingola Municipal Council for discharging effluent from its mining operations into the stream from which they get drinking water.

ECZ, as second defendant, was sued for allegedly failing or neglecting to carry out inspection or supervise maintenance of the pipes to meet the acceptable standards while the municipal council was sued for failing to take adequate measures to mitigate and control the effects of the pollution of water by maintaining sufficient water reserves.

But Justice Musonda did not find any case against ECZ because he found no negligence on their part, adding that ECZ did the best it could by even shutting KCM operations at one point.

He said ECZ was dealing with a truant investor and it was not too late to prosecute KCM and set an example to others.

Justice Musonda said the fact that Zambia was in dire need of foreign investment to improve the well-being of its people does not mean its people should be dehumanized by ‘greed and crude capitalism’ which put profit above human life.

He said the plaintiffs had proved their case against KCM in common law and statutory law that the mining company was reckless and had no regard for human, animal and plant life because they thought they were politically correct and connected.
“The courts have a duty to protect poor communities from the powerful and politically connected.

I agree with the plaintiff’s pleadings that KCM was shielded from criminal prosecution by political connections and financial influence, which put them beyond the pale of criminal justice,” Justice Musonda said.

He said whether human beings had died or not, there was gross recklessness on the part of KCM which must bear the moral, criminal and civil liability for the appalling tragedy because the company turned chingola residents into ‘guinea pigs’ and showed no remorse.

Justice Musonda said the plaintiffs had called victims of the pollution and expert evidence to prove that there was pollution.

Daison Mulenga, one of the affected residents who testified in the matter, told the court that in November 2006, there was no water supply for 10 days in Kabundi township and Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company supplied them with water pumped from Kafue River.

Mr Mulenga said after drinking the water, he experienced stomach pains, diarrhea and chest pains and that his sight was also affected.

Another witness Siku Nkambalume said his wife went to draw water from Kafue River for cooking, bathing and drinking but the following day, he had stomach pain and that him and the children had a runny stomach.

He was later informed by a doctor from Chingola’s Kakoso clinic that the water was polluted.

The judgment has cheered many.

Lusaka lawyer Kelvin Bwalya said he was happy that judgment had been passed in favour of his clients and that it was an important and a landmark case which can be used to pursue other offenders.

Reverend Esson Simbeye of Chingola, for example, says the K10 billion KCM has been ordered to pay for polluting the Mushishima stream is inadequate, but will at least serve as a ‘wake up call’ for mining companies to stop polluting the environment with impunity.

Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) principal information and communications officer Irene Chipili is upbeat about the judgment.

“As ZEMA, we are happy with the judgment because this has shown that we carried out our work in accordance with the provisions of the law then using the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act (EPPCA). For that reason, we were exonerated in this case,” Mrs Chipili said.

ZEMA was until April this year operating under the EPPCA which has since been repealed and replaced with the Environmental Managment Act (EMA). One of the reasons for this amendment related to the weak provisions in the EPPCA which the EMA has now taken care of.

“In comparison with the EPPCA, the EMA provides for enhanced public participation in environmental management. It provides for an option for both ZEMA and members of the public to sue for damages following pollution and this is the provision that was used by Chingola residents,” Mrs Chipili said.

“We would like to encourage more of such vigilant actions from members of the public because environmental protection should not be a preserve of enforcement agencies alone.
Effective environmental management in this country requires the active participation of all stakeholders including the general public.”

But KCM, a subsidiary of the London-registered Vedanta, whose market capitalization is more than US$4.4billion, says it is consulting its lawyers regarding its legal options following the Lusaka High court ruling.

KCM head of public relations Joy Sata said KCM is a responsible company which has adopted global best-practices and complies with all local regulatory requirements on environment, health and safety.

Ms Sata said KCM has a zero tolerance policy on any action that will compromise the health and safety of its employees or residents.

“Over the years, KCM has taken many steps, including a multi-billion dollar investment programme to address the many issues it inherited at privatization.”