November 30, 2007
Mozambican Communities Learn New Skills for Improved Health

A new well brings joy, excitement, and health to a community. Inoperable wells bring disappointment, frustration, and a return to unsafe practices. In places like southern Mozambique, broken hand pumps litter the landscape. Locals do not know how to repair the pumps, and the organizations that drilled them are nowhere to be found. What was once a source of joy and health is now nothing more than scrap metal to be stolen and sold at market. Once the parts are gone, the well is completely open to contamination. Community members return to traditional, unsafe water sources, significantly increasing their chances of disease and death.

Lifewater Field Trainer Dwayne Lee reported that during his time in Mozambique this last month, he found that several of the pumps that were reported by communities as “broken” were in fact stolen. Lee states, “The well and pump have to be seen as something of value before the village will take ownership.” As he and other Lifewater volunteers trained Mozambican partners in the rehabilitation and repair of broken hand pumps, they were sure to emphasize the importance of including community members is all stages of the process. Reports such as this encourage Lifewater in its persistent dedication to instilling ownership and responsibility. If community members see the pump as valuable and have the knowledge to repair it if it breaks, they become more likely to keep the well safe and functioning.

Furthermore, it became clear to Lee and his team that without education in hygiene and sanitation, many people do not understand the full value of drinking from safe water sources. Lee explains, “I am amazed at how readily the villagers will go to the mud puddle to fill their buckets when the pump is not working. They seem to do this without any concerns or loss of anything other than the inconvenience of more time consumed hauling the water. The health/sanitation issues do not seem to be a concern.”

While more volunteers will be returning to Mozambique in Spring 2008 to continue the pump repair training, Lifewater’s partners in Mozambique will also be trained in community health through hygiene over the coming months as part of Lifewater’s work plan with Agua Para Todos (APT), Lifewater’s Mozambican partner.  Pat Klever, Lifewater’s Project Director, claims, “Agua Para Todos is totally dedicated to sharing God’s love through its work in the community. By teaching communities the value of the safe water and education they’re receiving, APT ensures that the investment will multiply and spread throughout the region.”