The Minister of Water, Mr. Nkaku Kabi and the UNICEF Representative to Lesotho, Mrs. Anurita Bains led the official handing over of 13 UNICEF funded Clean Water Supply Maintenance at event held at Matebeleng in Quthing on Wednesday.
At the same event, the Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS) also handed over tippy taps to 71 households in the same village. These tippy taps were constructed by volunteers from the society after conducting COVID-19 education for villagers at Matebeleng.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Water, Mr. Nkaku Kabi expressed gratitude for UNICEF commitment to help the Lesotho Government meet the needs of the community, mostly that improve their health and livelihoods.
He said the government is committed to ensure that all Basotho have access to supply of clean water, adding that the projects will also improve the lives of children and their education as they will no longer walk long distances to fetch water before they go to school.
The Member of Parliament for Moyeni Constituency, Mr. Mahooana Khati thanked UNICEF for the project, saying he is happy that a long time need for clean water in this area has been addressed. He urged the villagers to have hope that other needs which include electricity connection, construction of a bridge as well as the road maintenance will be addressed.
The UNICEF Representative to Lesotho, Mrs. Bains said Lesotho has a challenge of drought and the projects will respond to this challenge, adding that UNICEF will continue to support the country and mobilise funds to water supply projects for support of women and children who walk long distances to get water. She therefore urged residents to protect the projects and report when there is a problem to be fixed in time.
The LRCS Secretary General, Mr. Kopano Masilo expressed gratitude to UNICEF for the support to make COVID-19 education a success, saying the society will re-roof a leaking house of the identified needy during the COVID-19 education and that food packages for some needy households in Matebeleng will be distributed.
Also speaking, one resident of Matebeleng, also a member of village water committee, Mrs. Manapo Mphephoka said lack of water in the village was a challenge as residents spent nights queuing for water for domestic use while others walked long distances to get water from streams and rivers hence thanked UNICEF, Red Cross and government for the construction of tippy taps and provision of COVID-19 education for the community.
She therefore promised that residents will work hand in hand to protect the Project.
The over M4, 000 000 Maintained Clean Water Supply project has been funded to support Lesotho in response to drought emergency and effort to increase access to Clean drinking water services. The 13-water system are in seven districts namely; Maseru, Mafeteng, Mohales’hoek, Quthing, Qacha’snek, Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong.