Govt. hails Project Concerns International efforts in Choma District

Govt. hails Project Concerns International efforts in Choma District

Choma, June 02, 2014,  ZANIS —-  Government has paid tribute to Project Concern International (PCI) for accelerating its water and sanitation programmes in Choma, district.

Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe says government is happy with PCI’s in improving lives of most communities in the area by ensuring schools and farmer households have toilets and access to clean water supply.

Mr. Munkombwe said this  when PCI and Land-O-Lakes carried out a sensitization campaign in water and sanitation in Mboole village at Silukwiya primary school in Choma.

He was however quick to note that it was gratifying to not that other stakeholders such as Land-O-Lakes have come on board to speed up water and sanitation programmes championed by chief Macha of the Tonga people.

Mr. Munkombwe urged farmers to ensure that they constructed pit latrines at their households if they are to abet diarrhea and other water born diseases.

He explained that it was cardinal to concentrate on constructing pit latrines in all households to promote hygiene.

‘’It is better to sleep in a grass thatched house and have a pit latrine that is roofed with iron sheets. You only need two iron sheets to roof a pit latrine,’’ emphasized Mr. Munkombwe.

Project Concern International as promoting use of clean water and construction of pit-latrines in rural households.

Chishingwa village in the outskirts of the district is among the beneficiaries of the project   where the community has adopted the clean water usage and constructed better pit latrines to avoid diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and bilharzias among others.

And Chairperson for the satellite in water and sanitation plus hygiene in chief Macha’s area Sydney Mudenda Halala says safe water supply options for schools and rural households in the area.

Mr. Halala says the project includes boreholes with hand pumps, wells with hand pumps, water tanks, rainwater and taps.

He further noted that PCI in closer collaboration with Land-O-Lakes is also imparting skills in livestock management to address cattle diseases.