The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube Post Correspondent
CARITAS Zimbabwe – a subsidiary of the Roman Catholic Church which stands for relief and development – spent $373 897 in water sanitation programmes in Nyanga, The Manica Post has learnt.
The project – Sanitation for Success – which was mooted in January 2014 and ran up to March 2017 – was aimed at improving the living conditions, health and human dignity, economic productivity in poor urban and peri-urban areas of Nyanga.
The development which is expected to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals Number Six (formerly Millennium Development Goals Seven) of reducing by half on the proportion of communities (wards 29 and 31) without sustainable sanitation services, targeted 6 538 people in Nyanga communities.
In a stakeholder handover finance report presented at the Sanitation for Success programme exit meeting held at Rhodes Hotel recently, the amount was used for, among other things, rehabilitating and upgrading of water sewer ponds, construction of latrines at public institutions, rehabilitation of hospital incinerator and procurement and erection of storage water tanks.
“It is a milestone. We are handing over the projects to Nyanga RDC. Most of the projects were 100 percent complete. We are grateful with the support we received from Government, the community, the council among other stakeholders and individuals,” said the programmes manager, Mr Nhamo Hondoyomoto.
Among other things, a waste collection compactor cost $110 000, while the rehabilitation of Nyanga District Hospital incinerator and construction of biogas digester cost $16 252 and $10 882 respectively.
Caritas, which worked in unison with Government, also rehabilitated water sewer ponds in Nyamhuka One and Two and constructed latrines at public institutions in Nyamhuka One, Zuvarabuda Primary School, Nyangani High School, constructed six water closets blocks of toilets at three urban schools, upgraded and refurbished Nyamhuka One public toilet.
They completed the electrification of Rochdale pay toilet and procured and erected nine 5 000 litre storage water tanks at institutions such as Nyamhuka One public toilet, District Administrator’s office, Zuvarabuda Primary, Nyangani High School, Rochdale pay toilet, Nyamhuka Two cottage industry to address acute water shortages to public institutions.
The rehabilitation of Nyanga District Hospital’s incinerator will ensure safe disposal of hazardous waste.
In a bid to provide alternative source of energy, they constructed a bio-gas digester. They rehabilitated and upgraded sewer lines at Messengers’ Camp, AABS-Mangondoza, constructed two septic tanks and soak-aways.
Nyanga Rural District Council chief executive officer, Mr Zefania Jaravaza, applauded Caritas’ developmental works.
“Nyanga residents and villagers are elated. What Caritas did to Nyanga communities will forever be appreciated. Public attitude on handling waste has also improved tremendously thanks to Caritas,” he said.
