Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia has commended Pump Aid for its interventions aimed at providing portable water for rural communities in Dowa.

Speaking Tuesday during a field visit in Traditional Authority (TA) Kayembe in the district, the minister said the Beyond Water program, which Pump Aid is implementing in Dowa, which empowers communities in repairs and maintenance of community water points is helpful in improving all time access to portable water to communities.

“As a country we have many boreholes in poor rural areas which are not functioning. This program is empowering people to have their own paid area mechanics thereby always ensuring access to portable water.

“This reduces risks of diseases like cholera, reduces distances women travel to fetch water amongst others. As government, we are thankful for this important intervention and it has our full backing,” she said.

Mia said her ministry will consider providing two more water systems in Nambuma, TA Kayembe.

Tiyamike Lingison, a community member, said whenever the village borehole stopped functioning, they had to walk a long distance to fetch water and used the same dambos animals use.

“With the coming of Pump Aid Beyond Water Program we simply call our area mechanic who services the borehole in no time. As such, our lives and health wellbeing have changed,” said Lingison.

Pump Aid Beyond Water Country Director, Symon Msukwa said the organisation estimates that over forty percent of boreholes are nonfunctional at any given point in time.

“We thought we needed to support government by making sure we increase the number of functional water points so that more people have access to clean water as it is what communities deserve,” said Msukwa.
Pump Aid Beyond Water helps in providing solutions to unreliable water sources for poor rural populations through competent, organised and coordinated management of rural water hand pumps.

The program has been in Dowa for over two years.