JANUARY 2017 - NCUWASHnewfour.ncuwash.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wash-connector-issue-51.pdfNovember 2016 to commemorate the National Sanitation Week, Global Handwashing and World

JANUARY 2017

II WASH Connector Newsletter. ISSUE 5

Inside This Issue...

Editor’s Note

Honourable Minister of Environment, Water and Climate meets UNICEF’s New Country Resident Representative

Recognising Sanitation and Hygiene through National Commemorations

Zimbabwe Handwashing Campaign Alliance: Saving lives with water and soap

WASH Wizards: Breaking the male dominated artisanal field, changing the lives of women

Sanitation for success: Bridging the gap between communities and service providers

Upgrade design and operation of a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

Diversification contributes to the success of Gwanda North Community Health Clubs

SIRDC working with RDCs to create multi-sectoral GIS systems

C-WASH Project for Lasting and Inclusive Water and Sanitation Facilities

Water: A Human Right or a Lucrative Business?

New sustainable, inclusive, zero waste technology to treat gray water, industrial effluent and sewage

DISCLAIMER: Any views or opinions presented in this newsletter are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Zimbabwe WASH sector management body, the National Action Committee (NAC) Secretariat the National Coordination Unit (NCU) and its supporting partners; SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and UNICEF.

1WASH Connector Newsletter. ISSUE 5

It is another new year again and I wish you all a fruitful and prosperous 2017. The Editorial Team would like to thank you all for your positive support during the course of 2016 and is happy to announce launch of the 5th edition of the WASH Connector Newsletter. The

year 2016 was loaded with a number of strategic, high impact and life changing developments which include the unveiling of a national WASH Sector Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) against the current El-Nino-La Nina induced drought and development of the WASH Sector National Sanitation and Hygiene Policy.

The Government also successfully launched two national strategic documents for the WASH Sector viz The Monitoring & Evaluation and Learning Framework and The Sanitation & Hygiene Advocacy Strategy. The 2016/17 Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report with a financial focus was also finalised.

Two major sector development projects namely the 14 Small Towns WASH Programme and the 33 Districts Rural WASH Project were also successfully rounded up and formally handed over to Government. The Rural WASH Project was also further extended to cover the three remaining Provinces of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland. These development activities together with many others kept us busy throughout the year. As such, the sector performed very well and we applaud all our partners for a job well done.

Having realised these gains from 2016, the New Year started on a sad note with an unexpected Typhoid outbreak in Mbare. To date, Harare City has reported more than 500 suspected cases since the 13th of October 2016, 45 of which have so far tested positive with 3 deaths. A National Rapid Response Team has been set put to try and quell further spread of the disease inlight of the current rainy season characterised by heavy down pours across all the 10 Provinces.

Together we can stop the spread of typhoid!

I strongly believe and hope that we are ready for the New Year, new challenges and new possibilities. Let us all put our hands together and serve our nation ensuring universal access to clean-safe water and dignified sanitation thereby reducing the disease burdens associated with their neglect.

We wish you inspired reading.

Dhoba LovemoreWASH Information Officer,National Coordination Unit

Editor’s Note

Tafadzwa ShumbaAngella Kabira

Matthew Chirambamhanda

Dhoba Lovemore

Kevin Mazorodze Carl Mateta

WASH Connector Editorial Team

2 WASH Connector Newsletter. ISSUE 5


By Dhoba Lovemore, National Coordination Unit

In preparation for a new financial year and as a tactical move to open doors wide

for strategic engagements, the Minister responsible for Environment, Water and

Climate, Hon O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri (MP) had a round table discussion with UNICEF’s

new Country Representative Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya. The meeting held at Kaguvi Building on the 13th of December 2016 was also attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mr. P Mupazviriho, the National

Coordinator in the National Coordination Unit Mr. H.R Mashingaidze and UNICEF’s Chief of WASH, Mr. V. Kinyanjui. In her

opening remarks, the Hon. Minister expressed dismay over the sector’s level of disaster preparedness which she said still remains

on the reactive side resulting in unnecessary loss of human life. She underscored that our programming for 2017 should seek to reverse this status quo and strive to reduce the impact

of any future disasters affecting the sector.

As if to allay the Hon. Minister’s fears, the National Coordinator Mr. Mashingaidze apprised the meeting that the Rural WASH Sub-Sector has long since been put on a national real time monitoring system able to report on the water and sanitation situation across communities.

This system is currently being used to track severity of the El Nino-La Nina induced drought. There is also need to continue formulating new strategies able to withstand current climate change challenges. Of major scrutiny was the issue of boreholes equipped with hand pumps. The unrelenting recession of ground water table in direct response to climate change has a net effect on water availability and access by communities.

It was sweet to the ears hearing the Hon. Minister tabling technical solutions to technical challenges bedevilling the sector in the face of climate change. Most interesting from her pool of solutions was further deepening of already existing boreholes where there is evidence of receding water table and for high yielding boreholes, equip those with solar powered pumps and pipe water to follow communities. This is also with some background that over usage of hand pumps has resulted in frequent breakdowns many of which are beyond the capacity of user communities to finance. More often than not, this has resulted in long down time of water points forcing communities back to traditional sources.

Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya was quick to point out that, the current drought is a major cause for concern to UNICEF’s current and future programming. The Climate change office within

UNICEF is currently in the process of mobilising resources for a national programme in response to the current climate change challenges. With immediate effect, the Rural WASH Project has been extended to the three provinces of Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central reaching out to more than 1.4m people. This is backed by £12 million grant from DFID. Plans are also at an advanced stage to commission a national

High Level Discussion: (From left) National Coordinator for National Coordination Unit Mr. H.R Mashingaidze, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Hon O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Mr. P. Mupazviriho, Hon. Minister’s Aid Mr. S. Karimanzira, UNICEF Country Representative Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya and UNICEF Chief of WASH, Mr. V. Kinyanjui during the round table discussion at Kaguvi Building on the 13th of December 2016


programme for rehabilitation of community managed piped water schemes. This started with a national technical assessment of all community managed piped water schemes strewn across the country. UNICEF is proposing a system where the more than 500 schemes assessed are rehabilitated and have their varied pumping mechanisms converted to solar with reduced operational costs.

“…boreholes are drying up but why are we

continuing with borehole drilling?” asked Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya. Where boreholes have failed, the sector should also be flexible enough to turn back to surface water especially in those regions proud of perennial river networks able to sustain new piped water schemes. The need to conduct proper assessment of water available, both ground and surface to guard against yield related future failures of the rehabilitated schemes need not be over emphasized. Rivers and dams are silted and this has reduced their water holding capacity, “…I recommend that like agriculture we also institute a Command river and dam desiltation programme” lamented the Hon. Minister as she scrounges around for measures to boost the available surface and ground water resource.

The discussion also revolved around a myriad of urban WASH challenges blamed for precipitating outbreak of archaic Stone Age diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Water situation in urban areas at the moment is very deplorable due to erratic supply. This situation has forced residents to seek solace in alternative sources chief amongst which are shallow wells and boreholes. “This water again is not safe due to burst sewer pipes affecting ground water”. This leaves residents exposed to high risk of contracting water borne diseases. The recurrent typhoid outbreak in the high density suburbs of Glenview and Budiriro throughout the year should therefore not be taken as a shocker.

Solid waste management continues to top in a group of notorious challenges distressing

urban areas as Local Authorities’ capacity to collect waste continue to decline to unparalleled levels. This calls for behaviour change on the part of residence generating the waste and is only possible through heightening and focusing hygiene promotion whilst instituting measures sound enough to make compliance binding and compulsory on both parties. UNICEF Resident Representative gave a practical example of Iran where Government has worked through school children enforcing the anti litter ticketing programme “…the US$14m Education Fund availed to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education by UNICEF and with a small WASH component can be used to kick start this discussion”.

Rounding up this alliance of minds, the two parties took note that the current WASH

Sector Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) has not been able to attract as much funding during the course of the year. However the coming onboard of USAID with US$2m, the Germany Government with US$1m and DFID with US$2.7m has made a very big difference over a very short space of time. “However, all these funds would need proper coordination and oversight from Government so that the most deserving vulnerable Zimbabweans benefit from the interventions” concluded the Hon. Minister.


Three Dignitaries: Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya poses for a photo flanked by Hon O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri and her Permanent Secretary Mr. P Mupazviriho



By SELF Project Team

Zimbabweans in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector came together in November 2016 to commemorate the National Sanitation Week, Global Handwashing and World Toilet Day. This joint commemoration is an annual event organised by the National Sanitation and Hygiene Taskforce putting sanitation and hygiene high on the national development agenda. The week encompasses a variety of activities from road shows, clean up campaigns to dramas, dance, art and distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials that create awareness on issues around sanitation and hygiene. The commemorations were held under the theme “Latrine construction and handwashing with soap: key to employment creation,” which resonated with the World Toilet Day theme of “Toilets and Jobs” and the Global Handwashing Day theme “Make Handwashing a Habit!”

The event presided over by the Vice President Honourable E.D Mnangagwa was hosted by Chegutu District at Rio Tinto High

School, Mubaira Growth Point. A high powered delegation comprising government officials, development agencies, NGOs and private sector partners also attended the event.

In a keynote address read on his behalf by the Minister responsible for Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, Vice President Mnangagwa highlighted the importance of sanitation and hygiene to communities.

In his speech the Vice President reiterated the Government’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is premised on ensuring universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all by 2030. He noted that improved water and sanitation are key enablers to the socio-economic development of any nation and lamented the unacceptably widespread practice of open defaecation in Zimbabwe which threatens public health. He hailed the US$53m DfID/SDC/UNICEF funded Rural WASH Project that has managed to eradicate open defaecation in a number of communities through promoting construction of latrines.

“Allow me therefore Ladies and Gentleman to recognise the US$53m DFID/SDC/UNICEF funded Rural WASH Project covering the 5

Provinces of Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands and Masvingo. This is one notable intervention

that has loosened this burden by managing to declare 1 953 villages Open Defaecation Free (ODF) through construction of over 96 780

latrines,” he said.

The Vice President also took the opportunity to launch two key sector strategic guideline documents; the National Sanitation and Hygiene Advocacy Strategy and the Sanitation and Hygiene Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning Framework which the Government of Zimbabwe with support from the Water Supply

Megabanner carrying theme for the commemoration

Mark Harper from Welthungerhilfe stops for a chat at one of the exhibition stands at the event



and Sanitation Collaborative Council developed for effective implementation and tracking of sanitation and hygiene interventions.

The Minister responsible for Health and Child Care Honourable Dr David Parirenyatwa,called on all Zimbabweans to actively take up the duty to improve sanitation and hygiene and abandon the business-as-usual approach which relegates sanitation and hygiene to the lowest position on individual and national priorities.

Other notable speakers at the event were the Minister responsible for Environment, Water and Climate Honourable O.C.Z Muchinguri-Kashiri, Unilever Managing Director Mr H. Muzondiwa, World Health Organisation Country Representative, Dr D. Okello and Australian Aid Head of Development Cooperation in Zimbabwe Christina Landsberg who all reiterated the importance of investing in water and sanitation, reducing child mortality by improving health and hygiene facilities and tackling climate change through building climate resilient communities.

The event was characterised by drama, song and poetry performances by school children and water and sanitation advocates. The private sectors’ participation was also visible in the form exhibitions with local NGOs and private players in the WASH sector taking the opportunity to exhibit their products and services on stands

which the Guest of Honour toured. Unilever sponsored IEC materials for the event and also conducted road-shows in the surrounding villages and at Mubaira business centre a week before the launch. Other smaller celebrations were held across the country and were attended by thousands of Zimbabweans. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) supported 10 commemorative events in Mashonaland West under its SELF project initiative.

Just to mention a few events, Saint Oswald`s High School, in collaboration with three other local schools, hosted the event on the 22nd of November in Mhondoro Ngezi. Children

performed drama on handwashing, diarrhoea and dangers of poor hygiene while encouraging

others to cascade information from School Health Clubs to their families. The children also performed poetry and songs on handwashing and hygiene themes while other pupils and

teachers participated in a competition for the best handwashing method as demonstrated by

the Shamiso handwashing poster.

In Kariba, celebrations were held at Siakobvu Primary School and a Chalala with over 500 people in attendance. Drama and songs were presented by Health Clubs. School children presentations on WASH called for every household to have a toilet, waste disposal and handwashing facility. In Kadoma celebrations were also held in Rimuka, Waverly and Chemukute Surburbs on the 30th of November commencing with parades from school drum majorettes. All these events we built up activites to the national event.

DID YOU KNOW?

28% of the total Zimbabwean population practice open defaecation

Lands and Rural Settlements Minister, Honourable Douglas Mombeshora delivering the keynote address



Sheila Mutero (15) from Mufakose high density suburb in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare is fortunate to be alive following a near death experience with typhoid in 2014. In fact, some of her neighbours, including her best friend Tambudzai from the nearby high density suburb of Dzivaresekwa, succumbed to dehydration and diarrhea two days after being admitted at a local clinic. The typhoid outbreak was mainly attributed to unreliable safe drinking water in high density suburbs; some of which went for months without running water.

Sheila knew she should wash her hands before eating, but did not do it regularly because of incessant water shortages and generally she did not value the importance of washing hands with soap. After discussing the importance of handwashing with soap with health workers and listening to various messages on radio and through live performances by popular musicians in her community, she finally understood that handwashing with soap saves lives.

“I did not know that we can actually get sick and die if we do not wash our hands with clean water and soap before eating or after using the toilet,” Sheila said.

Many people in Zimbabwe, especially children, die every year from preventable diseases such as cholera and typhoid. These frequent cases of diarrhea are also among the main causes of malnutrition and are responsible for more than half of all childhood deaths.

One of the most effective ways of preventing diarrhea is to improve hygiene at home, in communities and schools especially through proper handwashing with soap. This should be done at all critical times such as before preparing and eating food, after using the toilet or handling a child’s faeces and before breastfeeding following the handwashing healthy steps.

A project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is working with the

Sheila Mutero shows her water jug and bar of soap which she won during competitions at a live performance show.

By Sharon Murinda, SDC Regional Office for Southern Africa


Zimbabwe Handwashing Campaign Alliance that comprises Action Aid Zimbabwe, Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe and the Combined Harare Residents Association Trust. The alliance aims to develop communication materials and train teachers and community health workers to teach school children and families in urban areas on proper personal hygiene behaviour, especially handwashing with soap at all critical times.

Capitalizing on access to media by most family members in urban areas the project partnered with local popular musicians Leonard Zhakata and Tinashe Magacha to compose songs and jingles that encourage handwashing with soap. The songs have become an instant hit with many urbanites and the reach has been national.

Community health workers and teachers on the other hand have been using Information, Educational and Communication (IEC) materials such as posters and fliers to inform families and school children on how improved hygiene behavior, is critical in improving the health of everyone as well as where to set up a place for hand washing.

Sheila and other people in her community who recently received handwashing materials including a plastic jug and soap to motivate them to remember to wash their hands regularly with soap says she and her family have benefited from this simple but very effective intervention.

“Before, my family and friends in the community were often getting sick, especially with diarrhea, now that we have received training on handwashing from our community health worker as well as our teachers we are much less sick than in past years,” said Sheila. The Zimbabwe Handwashing Campaign Alliance has implemented the campaign in 10 high density residential suburbs, 9 health centres and 20 primary schools across Harare.

To further support the national reach of the project, IEC materials developed for the project were shared with the Ministry of Health and Child Care for possible adoption at the national

level. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has further availed more funds for upscaling this initiative in rural Masvingo (Bikita and Zaka) and implementation started in October of 2016. In addition to these activities, the campaign pushed for the inclusion of Handwashing with soap as a key aspect to ensure hygiene in communities and institutions in the new National Sanitation and Hygiene Policy currently under finalization.

The intervention shows that simple information clearly presented has a huge impact on the health of children and communities. Teaching children the importance of proper and regular handwashing with soap for example, has short and long-term benefits. Girls such as Sheila often have to help their mothers feed and care for the younger children. After they become mothers themselves, they will be able to share the good hygiene practices with the next generation.

Pombi Chigodo

Sipo yemuchigubhu

Mugomo unepombi

or Komichi yokuchururudza maoko

or

Sipo yehupfu

or

Nyorovesa maoko nemvura yakachena iri kuchururuka

Zora sipo Kwesha mukati memaoko Kwesha kunze kwemaoko Kwesha pakati pezvigunwe

Kwesha mukati menzwara Kwesha panoperera minwe Dzumburudza maoko ako nemvurayakachena inochururuka

Zunza maoko ako aome kana kuomesa ne tauro rakachena

Sipo yemvura

MATANHO EHUTANO PAKUGEZA

MAOKOzvinodiwa

Magezerwo emaoko

or




By Geshem Madzingaidzo

It all started as a usual community meeting. A 57 year old widow, Florence Mukondorongwe was preparing to sit through at least an hour of predictable council announcements and updates on WASH but when the WASH Wizards concept was introduced Florence became more interested. Little did she know that this meeting would change her life. Initially she thought, “Plumbing by a local woman? It is not possible”. Few women seemed interested and that added to her anxiety. “I really want to be part of this but what will people say when they see me walking around carrying spanners?” thought Florence? Informal plumbing is seen as men’s work in our patriarchal society but despite this, the idea caught her interest and Florence decided to join the team

Florence Mukondorongwe grew up as one of nine children in Mubaira, Mhondoro. Her mother died when she was just 8 years old and her father remarried and abandoned Florence and her siblings to fend for themselves. When her father returned with the intention of giving Florence away in marriage, she fled to her sister in Chitungwiza. Florence later married a man of her choice and relocated to Kadoma. Sadly her husband passed away in 2003. She is a resident of Old Ngezi, Kadoma where the SELF project is being implemented.

WASH Wizards are locally identified residents who are trained by the SELF Project and

Kadoma City Council Engineering department on basic plumbing skills so as to provide

plumbing services to their community. They help to reduce water loss and toilet blockages

at household level providing services at a reasonable price.

For Florence, becoming a WASH Wizard expanded her horizons and made a huge impact in her household. In Old Ngezi, blocked and filthy communal toilets were the only facilities available to residents. The SELF Project introduced new water and sewer reticulation infrastructure and individual households were at last able to build their own toilets and get water connections. Florence was one of the first two WASH Wizards in Old Ngezi to build a toilet and get a water connection at her home.

“I did not call plumbers to my household for plumbing works. I installed my toilet set alone and only called my supervisor to inspect the works,” She says “I was very happy when my work passed their requirements. After training as a WASH Wizard I vowed never again to hire anyone for plumbing works at my home. I risked losing money on wasted material if my work was condemned as not being done to standard.”

“Some people laughed at me when I raised my hand during the meeting to be chosen

as one of the WASH Wizard trainees saying, “vanotienderepiko mai ava, havadi kupfuurwa nezvinhu”, (where is she going this woman,

she wants to be part of everything).

“But we were losing money to unscrupulous plumbers who did not know what they were doing”, said Florence. “I participated in the training and was among the top. The WASH Wizard trade has changed my life for the Florence fixing a broken pipe


better. We WASH Wizards are able to offer our services as a group and are being paid $40.00 for each toilet we connect”.

The training takes only three days followed by a practical attachment for one month with

the council. The Wizards work in groups under the supervision of Mr. Abraham, the City Council Maintenance Officer. Florence now feels confident enough to find her own small jobs. “When I walk around my community and see household water leaks I start educating home owners, explaining that they are paying for this wasted water and I offer my services. At first, they refused my service because I am a woman and they think I will damage their property as plumbing is considered profession for man,” Florence laughs. But now everyone is used to the WASH Wizards and they are confident to fix leaking pipes and toilets without supervision.

The WASH Wizards programme has changed the lives of dedicated women plumbers in Ngezi.


WASH Wizard in action

DID YOU KNOW?

At the 2014 Sanitation and water for All

High Level Meeting, Zimbabwe made a commitment to

develop a Sanitation and Hygiene Policy



By Elias Phiri, CAFOD

Emerging towns in developing countries are burdened with increased population growth that has seen an increase in the demand for services. This has stretched Local Authorities’ budgets in an already financially strained environment. Inadequate budgets coupled with unwillingness to pay by residents have seen local authorities struggle to deliver services every year. With deteriorating service delivery, Local Authorities’ relationship with residents, are getting strained.

The Sanitation for Success project being implemented in Murewa and Nyanga has the goal of sustainably improving living conditions, health, human dignity, economic productivity and the environment in the poor urban and peri-urban areas of Murewa and Nyanga through an integrated approach to sanitation. Murewa Ward 30 is a fast growing location aiming to gain town status in the near future. Since 2014, CAFOD together with its partner Caritas Harare have successfully created platforms for dialogue between residents and service providers under the Sanitation for Success program in Murewa.

The Sanitation for Success program has three Key Result Areas which are:

1. Comprehensive sanitation coverage increases by 50%

2. Hygiene practices and behaviours improve in target areas

3. A sustainable sanitation service provision structure is in place

To achieve these targets, the programme set up community and school health clubs as key platforms to initiate dialogue. The Murewa Waste Management Taskforce was also formulated in an effort to develop sustainable platforms for dialogue as well as information sharing between Local Authorities and the Business Community.

With an organised community that is able to demand high level service, the programme felt that there was need to strengthen the capacity of the Council to be able to respond to the needs of the community. Capacity gaps were identified and plugged in areas such as asset management and maintenance, customer care and complaints handling and strategic planning. Trainings are currently being rolled out to ensure improved service delivery. At the same time, Council also managed to meaningfully engage with residents during budget consultations not only in ward 30 where the program is being implemented but also in other wards. As such residents are now more willing to engage with the Local Authority on issues that affect them especially service delivery.

To improve service delivery the program also supplied a number of hardware items including a compactor and over 300 litter bins sourced by the Murewa Waste Management Taskforce. The program has also installed a biogas to electricity plant and biogas cooking facilities at schools. This development triggered residents to meet their obligation to improve in payment of rates and at the same time, improving solid

Experts panel discussion

School-led panel discussion



waste management. This has been further enhanced further by community health club members involved in collecting solid waste as a form of income generation.

Improvements in infrastructure have led to residents appreciating the need to pay for

services. The programme has also facilitated creation of proactive and innovative platforms

that enable residents to own solutions to their challenges. Another project component, the Livelihoods Sanitation Savings Fund has been very instrumental in enabling residents

to pay for their rates and invest in WASH infrastructure such as water connections and buying sewer materials for the newly

constructed Magamba sewer line.

To celebrate all these successes CARITUS Harare and CAFOD successfully organised Sanitation Festival in Murewa from the 18th to the 19th of November 2016. With the programme having come to an end in December 2016, Caritas Harare believes that Murehwa centre will never be the same again. The organisation is looking forward to the growth of Murehwa into a town that everyone would want to be associated with.

Waste Collection

Showcasing the waste management products

School health club facilitation


Upgrade design and operation of a Municipal Solid Waste landfill

By Alicia Dauth, EnviroExperts-Africa

Exhausted quarry sites can be converted into efficient and sustainable waste disposal locations if modern engineering technology is developed. A country like Zimbabwe with a large mining industry could greatly benefit from modern practices to manage the environmental challenges associated with Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal and long term monitoring necessary to limit environmental impacts. Quarries can become suitable locations for landfills (LF) due to already excavated areas with semi-permeable layers of soils although technical challenges of incorporating engineering designs within quarries can become a problematic task and must include the input from many experts (i.e. geologists, miners and scientists).

Pomona, an area on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe is known for nuisances (i.e. odor,

vector, fires) caused by an open dump located near to its residential and farming estates. The dump is situated within an old granite quarry, adapted into a disposal facility to satisfy the waste disposal needs for the

surrounding cities’ solid waste management requirements. Within the last few years the Pomona site has received increased publicity

from media and residents due to its numerous and unstoppable fire breakouts, burning for weeks. The concern related to the lack of control and mitigation measures required

to safely operate and maintain this site still remains a big challenge.

The opportunity to utilize this existing quarry at the time was the most cost effective and practical option although minimal preparation and planning was considered prior to operations (i.e. environmental impact assessment).

Community knowledge should be made available in the instance of converting a quarry to LF to gain public support and involvement. The Pomona dump should educate residents of Harare of the numerous health risks (i.e. air and ground water pollution) associated with land fills. As this dump already contains a large refuse capacity it would be extremely challenging to safely remove waste and implement an engineered landfill design so these details could only apply to an empty exhausted quarry such as the one illustrated below.

The technical issues and cost of retrospectively engineering the site would preclude such actions. As such, recommendations relate to future developments of exhausted quarries. Many natural resources are available to Zimbabwe which can be utilized at affordable costs.

Exhausted quarry fit for Landfill conversion

Pomona Landfill


By Nomvula Woodend and Thulani Tshabangu, Dabane Trust

Since the year 2011, Dabane Water Workshops, a leading WASH NGO has assisted communities in Gwanda North, Matabeleland South to establish more than 50 Community

Health Clubs (CHCs) under the European Union funded Water Facility Programme. The CHCs are voluntary community based groups that provide a platform for improving family health through positive peer pressure in the

process reducing WASH induced mortality and morbidity cases.

Of the clubs formed, Hlanzekile Sizanani in Ward 5 Enyandeni of Gwanda North stands out more prominently. The club was established in 2013 as an offshoot of a community irrigated garden project. According to the group pioneer, Mrs Senzeni Phiri, Hlanzekile Sizanani was formed after Dabane had conducted health and hygiene awareness sessions in the Ward. “We realised that our village Sizanani was very dirty with dippers and other rubbish strewn all over.

We had no sense of hygiene, as we had no latrines, rubbish pits and pot racks”, said Mrs Phiri. She added that the local Village Health Workers always reported high incidence of diarrheal diseases. With the assistance of Ward 5 Environmental Health Technician and Village Health Worker the club was formed. Hlanzekile Sizanani has a diverse membership of 16 that comprises widows, the elderly, chronically ill, and the youths. This is reflective of the club’s inclusivity and non-discriminatory approach when tackling health and hygiene issues.

Hlanzekile Sizanani Health Club in action


Mrs Phiri infront of a pot rack constructed with the help of Hlanzeka Sizanani CHC


Siphilisiwe Nsingo, a member of the club testified that the club has assisted all its members to construct latrines through member-cash contributions towards purchase of latrine construction materials. “Besides purchasing construction materials for members, we have assisted each other construct pot racks, hand washing facilities and rubbish pits”, she said. The CHC has made an impact to the Enyandeni community of Gwanda. It has positively influenced the formation of up to 10 other CHCs in Ward 5 which follow on its footsteps.

The group has also engaged in door to door and community health and hygiene campaigns to foster the adoption of appropriate health and hygiene behaviours such as proper use of latrines for excreta disposal, hand washing at critical times such as after using the toilet and home hygiene. The group has been effective in these campaigns through the use of captivating health and hygiene songs, drama and slogans. Hlanzekele Nyandeni group slogan is “Dubula idoti ihlanye” translated to mean shoot and drive out dirt mercilessly. The group slogan is common amongst the community members and school children who chant it out every time there is a clean-up campaign or health and hygiene triggering session. Mrs Phiri added that the use of the slogan and drama has led to increased of awareness on health and hygiene issues amongst communities.

School children from Enyandeni Primary School have developed a duty roaster to pick up litter around the village every weekend to promote environmental hygiene. The club’s success is attributed to its ability to diversify group activities and to link with other community development initiatives. The group runs a Village Savings and Lending Scheme in which they contribute US$8 every month. The money is loaned to group members who repay it with a capped interest. The interest and the group savings are shared annually amongst the members for the purchase of health and hygiene enabling household items

and kitchen wares. The group has also been linked to another Dabane implemented project called Amalima. The project has provided the group with trainings in Disaster Risk Reduction, Environmental Management and the construction of Eco stoves and training in sustainable climate SMART agricultural practices and nutrition.

Apart from these, Dabane Trust also trained the group in Community Based Management, Leadership for Transformation, Participatory Health and Hygiene Education and awareness sessions on Gender and HIV and AIDS. These various trainings received by the group and the diversified portfolio of activities has made the group versatile and resilient. Hlanzekile Sizanani’s long term vision is to have Enyandeni community certified as an Open Defaecation Free Zone where all households own and use toilets. The group has already lobbied the local leaders to pass by-laws that prohibit the construction of new homesteads without a toilet structure. Mrs. Phiri said in Sizanani village only 13 households out of 36 had no toilets and the club was working tirelessly lure those outstanding households into constructing their own latrines.


Members of Hlanzeka Sizanani Health Club in song and dance


SIRDC working with RDCs to create multi-sectoral GIS systems

By Dr K.S. Murwira, F. Matawa, G. Pachavo and F. Kuri Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC)

Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) through its Geo-information and Remote Sensing Institute (GRSI) have assisted five local authorities in Mashonaland West Province viz Chegutu, Zvimba, Hurungwe, Sanyati and Mhondoro-Ngezi Rural District Councils with setting up Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This will enable the local authorities to collect, manage and produce spatial data of the entire district that include the location and distribution of WASH facilities, industries, businesses, and residential stands, including all other infrastructure and natural resources.

All the five local authorities have been trained with facilitation from the Welthungerhilfe led SELF project funded by the Australian Government and are now piloting the system with technical support from GRSI.

The local authorities have each developed a District GIS Strategic Plan to help integrate the GIS into their day to day work. The GIS strategic plans detail the scope of GIS in the organization, the objectives of the established GIS team, the planned activities and the expected GIS outputs.

Each local authority has a GIS core team of at least five members consisting of the GIS focal person and four other members of staff who will be responsible for cascading GIS skills to other personnel in the organization. The GIS teams were trained by the GRSI at the

Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (ZIPAM) in Darwendale. The training covered sources of GIS data, spatial data types, coordinate systems, map projections, spatial data collection and entry including near-real time data collection, spatial databases, spatial data analysis and map creation. It included theory and practical exercises to enable the participants to acquire hands on skills. After the training, each GIS team went back to implement a GIS pilot project in their respective areas

Each local authority was provided with a desktop computer and an A3 colour printer. The GRSI installed GIS software and a Geo-database on all the supplied computers. This will serve as the official and central GIS data repository for the respective local authorities. The spatial database has specific access rights and passwords, audit trails and routine backup facilities. The data can be accessed by other

staff from their workstations through the local area network.

The data collected during the pilot GIS project will be uploaded into the database. The RDCs will also add the spatial data they are collecting for the Rural WASH Information Management System (RWIMS) as well as the ZINARA road survey to their Geo-Database, thereby providing an integrated district level GIS for development decision support. The local authorities also have an aggregate server to enable real-time data collection using mobile devices including smart phones.

An advanced GIS training is scheduled for 2017. In this training, the participants will use the data they collected from the pilot project for the practical exercises. They will clean, analyse and present data from the pilot survey. They will use this information for improved revenue collection from residents and businesses and to make informed development decisions at district level for WASH, roads, social services and new building developments

The GIS desktop at Zvimba RDC


By Petros Muzuva, DAPP

The C-WASH project funded by USAID and implemented by DAPP Zimbabwe in

Mutasa and Nyanga Districts reaching out to 4800 rural households and Zim-AHEAD in Chimanimani and Chipinge Districts reaching out to 3200 rural households in Manicaland Province is setting the standards in WASH Infrastructure development. The project is constructing 20 blocks of latrines with eight squat holes each at 20 schools, subsidizing

the construction of household latrines for the vulnerable labour constrained households,

supporting with expertise for construction of 800 household latrines for those who are non-labour constrained, repairing and rehabilitating boreholes and constructing water pans for the livestock. These facilities are specially designed

to be lasting and inclusive to the needs of the communities especially the needs of the

traditionally excluded.

Discussions held within the communities across the beneficiary districts revealed that communities require services that are reliable and affordable with minimum burden on users. This demand from communities calls for total inclusion of all stakeholders in the design of the infrastructure. Resultantly, the latrines that are being constructed are both gender sensitive and socially inclusive. For water supply, it’s an issue of ready access enabling communities to withdraw sufficient quantities of water of acceptable quality at any given time.

The rehabilitation of water points and the construction of water pans are all done in a matter that allows the ready and sufficient access to clean and safe water by both humans and livestock. The construction of water pans 30m away from the perimeter fence protect boreholes from contamination. Fencing of the water points also helps keep animals away from the water point to guard against any other forms of contamination.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care is part of the project assisting with water quality monitoring. The provision of water through rehabilitation of broken down boreholes also allows


Dual Latrine Construction at Sherukuru Sec School in Ward 14, Mutasa Distict

A Completed dual latrine at Nyunga Pry in Ward 3, Chipinge District


for the establishment of nutrition gardens at every rehabilitated borehole in line with the C-WASH Project’s quest to improve the dietary diversity of the communities.

For Sanitation, the project is also committing some extra effort to ensure that latrines being constructed resample strategic tenets of safety, privacy, comfort and dignity. The designs of latrines are ensuring safety because they follow the recommended construction standards through inspection at every stage of construction by the Ministry of Public Works. The

users are guaranteed of their privacy especially the girl child who enjoys the services under a closed toilet door. The design of school and household latrines follow a ‘dual mode’ where the latrine has to accommodate the needs of the people living with disabilities, the girl child, the boy child, the sick, the pregnant and the elderly through providing comfort during use. The latrines have compartments that are big enough to accommodate a wheelchair. A raised seat to allow the wheelchair bound user easy and comfort of services; the people who are visually impaired are aided by fitted hand rails

where they can tap using their guides. The girl child has a girl friendly compartment with a fitted cupboard for the storage of sanitary wear, a mirror and a bathroom to aid menstrual hygiene management.


Filling of the water pan: Even cattle enjoy the dignity and comfort of service

DID YOU KNOW?

The construction of water pans 30m away from the perimeter fence protect boreholes from contamination. Fencing of the water points also helps keep animals away from the water point to guard against any

other forms of contamination.


By Takudzwa Mushamba, Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering Consultant

Zimbabwe is amongst a multitude of developing countries where investment in water supplies and sanitation is desperately needed. There are still huge disparities in water supply coverage in the country. Regardless of the various efforts by government and her development partners, Zimbabwe still has a long way to go in ensuring sustainable water supply services in both rural and urban areas.

According to the 2015 update report on MDGs assessment by UNICEF and WHO, access to improved water supply in urban and rural areas stands at 97% and 67% respectively. With the advent of SDGs the need to build on lessons learnt in the past 15 years in the sector cannot be overemphasized. Various players have different views on whether water services should be privatised managed by public entities.

“Water is life” is a catchy statement and a

strong declaration regardless of the fact that the assertion became a cliché over the years. Water management is an intricate and dynamic process that requires a multitude of experts.

It is quite difficult to discuss Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) issues separately due to the close link between the three constituent elements within the WASH concept. Recognising water as a human right is not new globally. Over the years there have been discussions, scientific papers, and conferences on this issue. Notably on 28 July 2010, through resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognised the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that the two are essential to the realisation of all human rights. Prior to this in November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article one states that “the human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights”… the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use”.

Given such strong declarations one would wonder why we still have a gap in access

to clean, safe and adequate water supplies in Zimbabwe. Over 20% of people living in Zimbabwe use unprotected water sources

on a daily basis and an unknown percentage turn to unprotected water sources whenever there are water cuts in their areas. The next

question then is, as Zimbabwe have we fully adopted the “water as a human right

concept?” I will quote various sections of the constitution that are related to water as a

human right. Chapter 4 of the constitution of Zimbabwe provides for the right to safe under Article 77 which states that “Every person has the right to safe, clean and potable water that is suitable for drinking”. A key determinant of potential success in the water supply sector

is the presence of a solid plan and vision. It is fundamental to understand the water supply sector in a holistic manner and at the same time critically analysing a proposed water management model from various angles.




It is high time that we should start asking ourselves questions around sustainable models for water supply. What is the difference between a public entity and a private entity in water supply with regards to service quality and performance? Private entities operate using strict business principles that entail making a profit for the services rendered. That allows private entities to easily access loans from financial institutions. One key characteristic of private water supply institutions is benchmarking. Although this is not unique to private run institutions they usually operate within a calculated risk margin. As a country it is important to understand the Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour and Practices (KABP) with regards to water supply services, payment and potential impact of using a specific water supply model on all water users.

Water is a driver for human development and is essential for survival. These attributes make it an interesting investment. In the early 1990s Zimbabwe was one of the few countries in Sub Saharan Africa that were progressive with respect to water management. In present day Zimbabwe we have more water bottling than we had a decade ago. This undoubtedly reflects on the current water management systems in Zimbabwe. When publicly managed water systems fail to meet the needs of people in terms of quality and quantity and business people find an opportunity. We have also seen the advent of water trucking business and drilling of both private and public boreholes in urban areas. The actual statistics or the impact of these on water resources and the current water supply models is not well documented.

A widening economic imbalance and under performance of water supply systems imply that the poor have more difficulty accessing this precious resource. Water is and can be a business in various forms including but not

limited to large scale water supply utilities, water trucking, borehole drilling and water bottling companies. However, government needs to provide for an independent water regulation for the sector. In general whether we decide to adopt privatisation or maintain the status quo, it still remains imperative for government to determine the financial autonomy of a service provider. Without proper systems in place revenue from water will continue to be diverted and used for other purposes. There is also need for a clear strategy on the inclusion of the poor and marginalised if we recognise water as a human right through creating a balance between the business and the human right aspects of water management.

Regarding water as a human right without taking cognisance of the financial and economic aspect of the precious commodity ultimately leads to collapse of systems. As professionals in the water sector it is our duty to bring such issues to the fore to stimulate discussions and encourage evidence based planning and strategy development in the water management sector in Zimbabwe. There are still huge misconceptions around the rights based approach to programming in water supply including the thinking that water should be free or there is no place for private players when water is regarded a basic human right. It is impossible to tackle this issue in a single publication let alone in one article. However this seeks to stimulate discussion and debate on how we view water management and its related services in Zimbabwe.

Bottled water



By Ephrem Whingwiri, Zim Earthworm Farms

Most urban areas have reticulated water and can afford a flush waste water. However, the majority of rural peri-urban and new settlements because they do not have running water. Rely on pit latrines commonly produce bad odor, pose emptying challenges when full, have no capacity to destroy harmful pathogens and heavy metals, posing the danger of underground water pollution. The urine and solid waste collected are generally of no value to the people producing them. In Zimbabwe the sewer systems adopted by many local authorities are too expensive and not sustainable since most are failing resulting in raw sewage flowing down suburbs into open water bodies. Technologies which are low cost, effective in pathogen, heavy metal and odor removal are desirable. More importantly such technologies must create value out of the waste water thereby curbing underground water pollution. Earthworm technology possesses these virtues.

The wish of many dry sanitation users is to have a flush toilet one day. These are easy to use and keep clean; they are highly popular, and they remove faecal material from the household environment. Unavailability of water in rural areas makes flush systems

difficult to maintain. The heralding of climate change has also seen urban settlements facing water supply shortages, thereby

compromising sanitation delivery.

Considering that flushing water does not need to be treated, Zim Earthworm Farms (Pvt) Ltd. developed in 2013 a flush toilet (submitted for patenting) that employs the earthworm technology to clean the waste water recycling it for reuse in the same toilet. Excess water can be used to irrigate crops. In urban areas this toilet enables household to save on treated water and therefore reduce their water bills

drastically. In rural areas it enables household and institutions to install flush toilets inside homes or offices since the system eliminates toilet odors. The urine which under normal circumstances is lost underground or in a septic tank is cleaned and becomes excess water which can be reused to flush the toilet or used to water a vegetable garden.

In this system which Zim Earthworm Farms has called Vermimo/mande waste water treatment system, earthworms detoxify, deodorize and neutralize the waste water, resulting in a clear, odorless and pathogen free water which can be used to flush the toilet again or irrigate the garden. The system is closed with no underground pollution. The solid feaces are converted into a rich organic fertilizer called vermin compost which is also pathogen free, neutral and heavy metal free but rich in available plant nutrients. Waste water from bathing and laundry is also collected and processed by earthworms. The solids are emptied once the first chamber is full which can be once a year depending on number of people using the toilet. The solids will have been converted to vermin compost.

In June 2016 the Harare City Council

Laboratory collected and analyzed samples from the three chamber system. The samples taken were waste water that had been flushed and recycled in the established system for two years. Earthworm technology reduced BOD from 280.1 to 40.1, COD from 850.4 to 15.7, pH from 9.04 to 8.18, Permanganate Value



from 18.0to 7.2 and total coliform bacteria from >1800 to 13. No E. coli bacteria was found in the system after 24 months of recycling. The quality of cleaned water was excellent. The reduction of Total Coliform from more than 1800 to 13 is a significant milestone and reflects the effectiveness of this technology

Similar toilets based on earthworms are in use in India, Chile, etc. The Vermimo recycled water flush toilet does not discharge any water into the ground. It is water tight. Therefore, it is very suitable for homes or institutions in areas with high water tables. Contamination of well or borehole water from underground seepage is prevented. In new settlements, homes can be clustered and be supplied by recycled water from such a system. Bath and laundry water is collected, stabilized and treated in the system without killing earthworms. Where populations are bigger, excess water can be used to irrigate gardens. The energy requirements of running such systems are very low and the manpower requirements are very minimal. Two people can manage several units while in other similar sized sewage treatment systems many people are required to run the system.

For upscaling the technology to treat large volumes of raw sewage in suburbs, a decentralized approach is adopted with decentralized units at strategic points. The system can be deployed to manage polluted dams and manhole blockages discharging into streams. This system is sustainable because the power house of this technology is earthworms which reproduce themselves at a fast rate. The upscaling of this technology can be undertaken using an inclusive business model. Because huge quantities of earthworms would be needed to set up treatment plants in urban and rural areas, communities would be contracted to produce earthworms and sell to projects. Zim Earthworm Farms is already buying earthworms from communities it trained in earthworm breeding.

From the preceding discussion, the advantages of earthworm based waste water treatment compared to other systems (ponds, activated sludge, BNR and biogas anaerobic processes) are presented below:

• Simple & easy to operate & long life of plant

• Low operating & maintenance costs• Low energy requirement • No sludge formed• No chemicals used• No pre-treatment required for solids

separation• Little green house gas emissions• Treated water is very suitable for

irrigation.• Completely hygienic &odorless process.

Rehabilitation of existing high tech systems may not sustainably address the challenges. Consideration should be given to alternative, simple and ecological friendly systems like Zim Earth Worms which are deemed affordable in developing countries.

DID YOU KNOW?

Earthworms detoxify, deodorize and neutralize the waste water, resulting

in a clear, odorless and pathogen free water which can be used to

flush the toilet again or irrigate the garden.

Documents

JANUARY 2017 - NCUWASHnewfour.ncuwash.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wash-connector-issue-51.pdfNovember 2016 to commemorate the National Sanitation Week, Global Handwashing and World