Story by Providence Maraneli

THE construction of Sibhula piped water scheme in Gwanda North is set to transform the community which has gone for decades without portable water.

The sight of young learners carrying gallons of water every morning to school in this chilling weather, scotch carts queuing at riverbed wells and women travelling for more than 10 kms to the next borehole summarises the water challenges bedevilling the Sibhula community of Gwanda North.

This is, however set to be a thing of the past after ZANU PF aspiring candidate for Gwanda North constituency, Cde Lungisani Ncube procured the equipment to set up a three km piped water scheme from Thuli Tiver to Sibhula Primary School.

“Each child brings water from home to use at school,” noted a learner at the primary school.

“With this weather it is very difficult but there is nothing we can do,” another learner said.

Besides the pain of seeing their children carrying water to school, parents have also been battling to convince teachers to stay at the school.

“No teacher would want to stay at a school that does not have water we have had challenges to retain teacher and it has been affecting our children,” noted one of the parents who spoke to ZBC News.

“Imagine with this weather children carrying water to school, it’s a sad situation,” another parent said.

“Our prayers have been answered these pipes will enable us to have water after decades,” added a concerned parent.

“We were praying for water so that we can have a garden at this school, and we have been heard, we are so grateful,” a relieved parent said.

“We are short of words, we were struggling we had lost hope, at the next school children have been told not to come to school tomorrow because there is no water,” noted the village head Mr Menford Song.

With the Second Republic committed to transforming rural livelihoods, water has been cited as the key ingredient for the rural industrialisation drive.

“I have brought these pipes, the engines and the tanks so that we help our community, we can’t continue having to send children to the river. ZANU PF as your party loves you and it will do everything to make sure that your lives are transformed,” Cde Lungisani Ncube said.

The Second Republic is prioritising the provision of water in all the 35 000 villages in the country.