Southern Water, but not as we know it - Thursday 16 Feb

Actually this isn't strictly true, we aren't visiting Southern Water (as in the English water company) but Southern Water and Sewerage Company (commonly known as SWASCO) which, as the name suggests, is the water and sewerage company in the Southern Province of Zambia. They are also one of WaterAid's partners.

One of the small water "plants" that SWASCO operate is close to the town of Batoka. Whilst the plant itself is very basic, the chlorine dosing system operates in a similar way to back home - although there are clearly very different rules and regulations in Zambia.

Over the next couple of hours we learnt how the local community receives it's water supply - either via a meter or not, how they have social tariffs to help those who can't pay and how most people who don't currently have a meter don't want one.  A lady called Justina Hambiu explained that before SWASCO had installed the water supply she had to walk over 5km every day in order to get water for her family and that they were sometimes sick because of the water. Having piped water to her house and learning about the importance of sanitation has made such a difference to both her and her family.

Later that afternoon we travelled to the village of Silimi which is in the very early stages of receiving help from WaterAid and another of its partners - DAPP (Development aid for people to people). This village was a wonderful example of a community helping themselves - as soon as they became aware that they could be eligible for a water supply (a pump) they "went all out to get one". Setting up a number of local committees that would oversee its construction and ongoing operation and maintenance, provide all the villagers with all the education and information they needed so that the pump was used correctly. And of course making sure that each household build a new latrine - which is essential if the health problems the village used to suffer are eradicated. 

Unfortunately not all the villagers had managed to complete their latrine and so - guess what - I spent the next few hours "helping" to put the finishing touches to a brand new, brick surrounded pit latrine - which was pretty deep! I dug, laid bricks, plastered, poured concrete and back filled  - and then finally we had the finished article, almost! However a local frog had somehow managed to get into the pit and no-one would go in to be him out (I probably could have got down into the pit, taking a bit of earth with me, but there is no way I would have been able to get out). And so the lid went on with the frog intact. 

Both the areas visited today had undoubtedly benefited from intervention by WaterAid and it's partners - with both the installation of physical things and an education programme about the benefits of clean water and sanitation. However I'm not sure the frog would agree though...