Solving the water and sanitation crisis

SINCE 1993, World Water Day has been commemorated every year on 22 March to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.  It enjoins stakeholders to take action to tackle the global water crisis that has seen over 2 billion people living without access to safe water. 

The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Accelerating Change in the Zambian Water Sector through Partnerships and Cooperation.’

With the world having committed to ‘clean and safe water for all by 2030’ under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, this year’s theme is a clarion call to action,  to identify the strengths and resources of the WASH sector partners and determine how these can be used to support the shared goal. This collaboration can create synergy, which can lead to more effective and efficient results of delivering clean and safe water to all.

According to the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS), 72% of households in the country have access to an improved source of drinking water. Urban households (92%) are more likely to have access to an improved source than rural households (58%).

More than half of households (54%) in Zambia use an improved sanitation facility, including facilities shared with other households. Urban households are twice as likely as rural households to use improved sanitation facilities (78% versus 37%).

While some of these statistics (like 92% access) may seem impressive, the reality is different. In both rural and urban areas, the distances people cover to what they consider their nearest source of water are long and greatly compromise access. Some households do not have a toilets and practice open defecation, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

The paradox for rural communities is that despite some of them residing near huge water bodies such as rivers and lakes, they do not have access to clean and safe water, underscoring the difference between availability and access. The reasons for this crisis are complex and multifaceted, but they include rapid population growth, climate change, and poor water management practices.

To address these challenges, the Zambian government has been working with various partners and stakeholders to accelerate change in the water sector. These partnerships and collaborations are critical in achieving sustainable water management and ensuring access to safe water for all.

One of the key partnerships in the Zambian water sector is between the government and civil society organizations. Civil society organizations play a critical role in promoting community engagement and participation in water management. They work with communities to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation and help build community capacity for sustainable water management.

Despite the progress made through these partnerships, challenges remain in the Zambian water sector. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of funding for water infrastructure development and maintenance. The government and its partners must work together to find innovative financing solutions to address this challenge.

The vagaries of climate change have also complicated water access, with traditional sources of water for some communities such as streams and protected wells drying up completely or much earlier than anticipated each year.

In both the Vision 2030 and the Eight National Development Plan (8NDP), the government has outlined plans on improving access to safe and clean water, and improved sanitation. Water is inextricably linked to the pillars of sustainable development, and it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values.

“Key programmes to be implemented include climate resilient water supply infrastructure development and maintenance, water quality monitoring and protection of aquifers and protected water sources,” according to the 8NDP.

In the Vision 2030, the government seeks to achieve universal (100%) access to clean water supply to all by 2030. This is a tall order given the current situation and will require massive investment in the water and sanitation sector if the country is to come close to meeting national and global targets.

 The Zambia Water Investment Programme launched by President Hakainde Hichilema on the sidelines of the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit in July 2022 requires $5.75 billion to improve water security and sanitation investments and create approximately 200,000 formal jobs by 2030.

 While government has the overall national mandate of providing clean and safe water to communities and ensuring improved sanitation, the scale of the challenge only suggests that government alone cannot overcome it. Hence, the need for households, non-state actors and other entities to step in and supplement efforts of central government.

Across the country, several organisations are contributing to solving the water and sanitation crisis through a variety of projects and programmes. Among them is the USAID Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (USAID SUN TA) Project that is operating in 13 districts across four provinces, namely Central, Copperbelt, Northern and Luapula.

The project, whose objective is to contribute to a reduction in malnutrition, is working with various government ministries to, among other activities, deliver clean and safe water and improve sanitation in communities. 

Clean and safe water and sanitation are crucial to reducing diarrheal diseases which are a leading cause of malnutrition in children under two years.

In 2022, the project delivered clean and safe water to around 118,000 people in the four provinces through the construction and rehabilitation of 239 boreholes.

In 2023, the project has an ambitious target of rehabilitating 260 waterpoints and constructing 150 new ones across the 13 districts to boost provision of clean and safe water to more communities and households.

Sanitation goes hand in glove with increased access to water. By working with civic and traditional leaders and trained community volunteers, the USAID SUN TA project has over the last four years mobilised communities to take action to improve community and household sanitation through an approach called community-led total sanitation (CLTS).

Among the achievements include households constructing toilets and handwashing stations to eliminate open defecation and improve hygiene. For instance, Kaputa District was in 2021 declared an open defecation free (ODF) district.

By supplementing government efforts through strong partnerships and cooperation, the USAID SUN TA Project is contributing to the national goal of addressing the water complex challenges and ensuring access to clean and safe water and sanitation for all

Prey, What Did I Inherit?

Verily, you might surmise that I am much akin to a moose in my capacity to imbibe alcohol on the most frequent occasions. In my past life, I must have been a Drosophila Melanogaster. A common fruit fly. I am unable to remain sober, for I dread what I might encounter. I perceive and hear things in the absence of alcohol flowing through my veins. I feel that when I am drank, I can chat with whatever haunts me without any mask of fear. Maybe it is because in vino veritas. 

Over a decade ago, news arrived that a distant uncle, whom I had met just once in my childhood, had bequeathed his entire estate to me in his testament. I was astounded and bewildered. Why would he leave his property to me, a stranger?

Even the person who delivered the news to me could not conceal their surprise, no matter how hard they tried. The news was accompanied by the keys to the house.

At first, I found it hard to believe.

Upon learning more about my uncle, I discovered that he had a strained relationship with everyone, including his offspring. Perhaps he had elected to bestow his property upon me because he believed that I was the only one who would cherish it.

I set off to visit the house, embarking on a long journey that spanned the majority of the morning. As I crossed the threshold of the aged house, a strange feeling began to nag at me. The cracked floors groaned under my feet, and the scent of mold and mildew filled the air. It was evident that the house had been deserted for quite some time.

However, I had not come to admire the architecture or the dilapidated state of the building. I was there for an entirely different reason. I had no notion as to why my uncle had chosen to leave me this decaying old place, but I knew that it had held great significance for him.

As I traversed the empty rooms, memories of my childhood flooded my mind. I recollected the one time when my mother and I had come to visit my uncle, spending long afternoons in the garden, gathering mangoes, and chatting about everything and nothing. It had been a joyous period, a time before disputes within their family had driven a wedge between them.

But as I continued to explore the house, a strange sensation interrupted my reminiscences. It was as though something – or someone – was watching me, lurking just out of view. I endeavored to brush it off, attributing it to my imagination running wild. Nevertheless, the feeling persisted, growing stronger with each passing moment.

Suddenly, I heard a noise emanating from the room at the far end of the hallway. It sounded like footsteps, slow and measured, as though someone wished to remain unseen and unheard. My heartbeat quickened as I made my way towards the room, attempting to be as noiseless as possible. Upon reaching the far end of the hallway, I noticed that one of the doors was slightly ajar. It was the room that – by my inferences – had once being the bedroom of my uncle.

I nudged the door open and peered inside, half-expecting to see someone standing there. However, the room was vacant, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was when I discerned something peculiar about the room. It was immaculately clean, as though someone had recently been in there. But that was impossible - the house had been abandoned for years.

I resolved to investigate further and commenced a diligent search through the scattered boxes which filled the room. Alas, most of these were filled with mere trifles - old magazines, broken toys, and other such worthless odds and ends. However, a certain box soon caught my attention. It contained letters, aged photographs, and various personal articles belonging to my uncle.

As I delved into the contents of the box, a certain sentimentality began to stir within me. There were letters from my estranged father, who had left when I was but a child. There were photographs of my uncle and I, taken during the innocent years of my youth. And there was a diary, filled with my uncle's reflections and emotions from the last years of his life.

As I read through the diary with a growing sense of unease, I found myself increasingly disturbed. My uncle's words were fraught with pain and sorrow, and it was evident that he had been contending with some insurmountable difficulty for an extended period. He spoke of feeling as though he was under constant surveillance, of hearing peculiar noises within the confines of the house. And then, as the entries drew towards their conclusion, he made mention of a dark presence which dogged his every step.

My mind reeled in disbelief. My uncle had been assailed by an ominous force within these walls, a force which had driven him to the brink of madness. And now, to my horror, it appeared that this same malevolent presence had shifted its focus onto me.

As I closed the diary and surveyed the room, a shiver passed through me. The sensation of being observed had intensified, and it seemed as though an entity was standing close behind me. Slowly, I turned to face the intruder, dreading what I might behold. A figure materialized in the doorway, murky and elusive, moving with a slow, deliberate gait in my direction. Paralyzed, I could not speak nor move as it drew ever closer, its eyes hollow and black, its flesh ashen and gaunt.

As the skeletal hand reached forth to touch me, I realized with abject terror that this was the same loathsome presence which had tormented my uncle. It had been waiting, biding its time in the shadows, for the moment when it could seize me. And now, I was trapped within its grasp.

I made a valiant effort to flee, but my legs refused to respond. My voice was silenced by a constriction in my throat. The dark figure loomed over me, its foul breath searing my face. And then, in a sudden flurry of motion, it lunged at me, dragging me towards the inky depths of the shadows.

I fought back with every fiber of my being.

The figure began to withdraw, retreating at first with sluggishness, but soon accelerating with an unnatural quickness, as if it were a marionette being manipulated by some unseen puppeteer. I longed to scream, yet my vocal chords remained strained and unyielding.

The creature was nearly upon me when a gust of wind rushed through the room, and the space was shrouded in darkness. I stumbled backwards, tripping over some unseen obstacle and plummeting to the ground. When I regained my bearings, the figure had vanished, leaving the room in the same state of emptiness as before.

With my nerves shattered and my heart pounding, I clambered to my feet and fled the house as quickly as I could. As I reached the safety of my vehicle, I turned back for one final glance at the accursed dwelling.

From that day onwards, I dread a teetotal lifestyle. Whenever, I haven’t taken in alcohol, there is a constant looming over me a malevolent entity which forever haunt my moments.

THE PITSTOPS AND TERRORS OF PARENTING

Few days ago, was my birthday and I had some deep reflections on my life and mostly on my parenthood. I have kids that I don’t know how to raise and this none ending learning curve is a tall order. How will they turn out to be when I am gone and forgotten? How do I insulate them from the growing ills in this world which aren’t showing any cultural inertia? Will they sustain a heritage that values community, loyalty, and tradition?

In all this, I was being reminded of the quote from a postapocalyptic novel by G. Michael Hopf which sums up a stunningly pervasive cyclical vision of history and reinforces my fears. "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The idea, which I have developed and perfected me over the years of my existence on this God's green earth, posits that harsh conditions make for morally pure and strong people, while wealth and sophistication make for decadent and weak societies. 

Though this is a sweeping generalization by G. Michael Hopf which may not always be true, I am of the belief that the claim in question holds more veracity from what we have witnessed both in our lives and that of others. While it may be also true that not every successful person underwent significant adversity, truly remarkable individuals in various respective fields were forged in the crucible of affliction and trauma. The act of emerging from a place of darkness or using tragedy to cultivate one's character, as opposed to succumbing to it, confers immense benefits. We are captivated with the stories of Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, Simon Kapwepwe et cetera because of how they used every stone and mud thrown at them to build walls and lift themselves from the valleys to the mountain tops. Having worked so hard not only for their own recognition but also for that of their fellows because they were never born in privilege, nor with a silver spoon in their mouths. The notion of extreme ownership for one’s actions is relevant in this regard, as it entails adopting the mentality that one is responsible for everything that happens, and therefore, never a hapless victim of circumstance. This potent mindset elevates one's capacity to an exalted level, as the victim mentality limits one's efficacy and autonomy. Know that you are the master of your own fate, the captain of your soul, as penned by the poet William Ernest Henley in the famous poem, Invictus. 

In my growing up, my mother employed a firm approach to toughen us up, insisting that weakness would not be tolerated in the face of adversity. My mother, if you dared to come back home in tears after a perceived defeat by my peers, would not hesitate to pummel you while questioning your lack of retaliation. This was also a time when the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" was not only true but was at the apex of its usages. During this era, any elderly person nearby could fulfill the duty of molding a child's character by instilling discipline whenever they deemed a misdeed.

My own experiences of hardship and struggles growing up have driven me to an obsession of wanting to shield my children from such adversity. However, without experiencing the darkness, how can they appreciate the light? How do I improve my kids' lives without spoiling them with material possessions they demand? How do I instill in them the sense of resilience and tenacity that I acquired through my own struggles?

In times of adversity, fortitude, self-sufficiency, and collaboration are the hallmarks of those who endure. It is during these periods of hardship, whether it be the crucible of poverty or some other crucible of strife, that super-ordinate objectives emerge as a potent force for unification. Empirical evidence in social science attests to the efficacy of such objectives in uniting men and women, urging them towards cooperation and collective action.

Fast forward to the present, and as a parent myself, my children are the ones disciplining me with blackmail and all sort of manipulations. I need to bribe them or/and provide incentives for even the most basic actions like bathing, eating, or going to sleep. Their first greeting upon my return from work is, "what have you brought for us?" And they have the resilience and stubbornness of a donkey.

It's a common theme among parents – me inclusive – to strive for providing a better life for their children than they had themselves, yet they often fail to consider the type of children they are raising and leaving for the world. Many of us are absent parents and deep in a sunken place with an obsession to work and provide for our families that we even forget to be parents. We are guilty of leaving parenting to cable tv, domestic workers and school teachers. And we get surprise when kids turn out to be strangers to us? 

I’m not an apologist for crude parenting, nor am I here to glorify suffering. No. I hate poverty with all my being. But I “glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” – Romans 5:3 – 4. The reality is that parenting, like marriage, has no one-size-fits-all approach, and we must find what works best for us in our unique circumstances. 

It is undeniable fact that life is full of its own challenges which will be presented to them at every corner. What we should do as parents is to prepare them so that they can have the ability to express and process their emotions, learn and grow from every curveball. Not creating wimps.

We must also acknowledge that our children will inevitably form their own identities and personalities, regardless of our efforts to shape them. As parents, we can only do our best to guide and mold them into becoming responsible, compassionate, and capable human beings. And if God wills it, they will turn out to be successful and responsible citizens. The suspense, unpredictability, pitstops and terrors of parenting just adds to the flavour of life. Life would have been boring if all things were predictable.