Residents collect water from a spring just outside GrahamstownOn Wednesday 30 July 2014, Khulumani Water for Dignity will be hosting visitors from Tanzania to discuss its work on engaging local residents in efforts to ensure access to safe and clean water in Makana Municipality.
The programme will start with an overview of the city from the observation window of the Monument and an introduction to the complexities of the water supply and distribution network in the city. The network is around 100 years old and is in the process of being upgraded to meet the demands of a town whose population is rapidly expanding.
The team will then take the visitors to various sites in the townships followed by an engagement at the Fingo Multi Purpose Community Centre with Community Water Forum members. The meeting will start by discussing some of the issues relating to the ‘One Street One Tank’ initiative that has just received funding from Unilver. The meeting will also discuss the motivations of the members of the Community Water Forums for being involved with the project.
Access to safe and clean water is a growing challenge in Africa. There is crisis in South Sudan presently where the conflict between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar that erupted in December 2013 has left 1.1 million people internally displaced and sheltering at Uited Nations bases and in refugee camps as a time when crops should be being planted. OXFAM has issued an urgent appeal for funding to provide for sachets that can be used to make the available water suitable for human consumption. Please see the OXFAM youtube appeal at http://youtu.be/viaSKFrQgcI
