EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH BOREHOLE MAINTENANCE TRAINING

by: Chikumbutso Gasper Willard - 11|05|2023

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Access to clean and safe water is a fundamental human right, and it is essential for the health and well-being of communities. However, the maintenance of water points such as boreholes is often neglected, leading to the breakdown of these facilities and causing unnecessary suffering for communities. In an effort to address this issue, the Foundation for Active and Civic Education, with funding from GOAL Malawi through Irish Aid, organized a training program for water point committees in the area of T/A Mbenje.

The training, which took place from the 3rd to 5th August 2016 at Kalemba Pastoral Centre, aimed to empower communities on borehole maintenance, sanitation, and hygiene. The training was attended by 75 participants, including 33 women and 42 men, from five Group Village Heads (GVHs) in T/A Mbenje, namely Group Ntchenyera, Group Nyanjidu, Group Fulukiya, Group Kaleso, and Group Kalupsya.

The objective of the training was to impart knowledge and skills to the village health water committees on simple maintenance of the Afridev pump, leadership, hygiene, and sanitation. Specific objectives of the training included introducing participants to the village-level operation and maintenance of boreholes, emphasizing the importance of community involvement and participation in borehole activities, and teaching hygiene and sanitation practices that promote good health.

During the training, participants learned how to dismantle and reassemble the borehole, established a pump maintenance fund, and were imparted with knowledge on gender, water point sanitation, and HIV/AIDS. The training methodology included demonstrations, group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and Q&A sessions.

The successes of the training included participants being able to dismantle and reassemble the borehole, understanding their roles and responsibilities, and gaining knowledge on HIV/AIDS and good health/sanitation practices that prevent them from contracting waterborne diseases and sanitation diseases.

In conclusion, the borehole maintenance training program was a significant step in empowering communities to take charge of their water services. It is crucial that such training programs continue to be organized, as they are essential in ensuring that communities have access to clean and safe water.