The people of Chimtengo village take their water for washing, cooking and drinking from a water hole shared by pigs, cattle and goats. Last week, one of the villagers found a dead dog floating on the surface.

Water borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid are common in Chimtengo, especially among children, and it is not difficult to see why – the water they drink has a milky green hue, plants are growing out of the water hole, and on my visit, there was a pig defecating at the water’s edge.

During the rainy season, flood water runs into the hole, bringing with it dirt and rubbish from the village as well as remnants of chemical fertilizers, causing further contamination to the water source.
The villagers have repeatedly constructed a brick barrier to prevent animals drinking from the water hole, and also to stop rain water flowing into it, but time and time again animals have broken it down.

Diarrhoea, caused by poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene, is the leading cause of child mortality in Zambia. In 2006, just 43% of rural households had access to safe drinking water. Though the situation is improving, in part due to the government’s National Water Policy and the work of NGOs, access to clean water is one of the biggest problems facing people in rural areas.

Well projects like the one at Chimtengo cost approximately 10 million Kwacha (€1600).  In order to keep costs down and to ensure community commitment to the project, Self Help Africa, who are funding this well, require the people of the area to provide the necessary labour for the construction, as well as some raw materials such as stones and river sand.

The community is also required to upgrade local sanitation before well digging begins – and in Chimtengo each household had dug a domestic pit latrine before work was started. “This is to ensure that the new water source does not become contaminated “explains project co-ordinator Elia Manda.

Four weeks ago, the men of Chimtengo began digging. The whole village have come together to work on the well. The men do the manual labour, the women carry water from the water hole to make the cement, and the children watch on and make sure that any stray stones are returned to the right pile. Construction is being overseen by Masautso Miti, a well technician who lives locally and has worked on more than 800 wells all around Zambia.

The wells are dug in the height of the dry season, when the water table level is at its lowest, so the workers know how deep to go so water can be accessed throughout the year.

Water borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid are common in Chimtengo, especially
among children

The well is now seven metres deep and one metre in diameter. While I was there today, the workers were finishing lining the well with concrete rings. Mud must now be removed from the water using buckets before the hand pump can be installed.

“We hope to have the well finished and ready to use in one week’s time,” says Miti.

“We are all very excited about our new water source,” says Chimtengo’s Head Man. “It will make such a difference to all of our lives.”