The Coca-Cola Foundation working in conjunction with the DanChurch Aid and the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) have completed the installation of seven solar-powered boreholes in the western suburbs as part of the efforts to alleviate water challenges encountered by residents.
The US$50 000 project is set to benefit over 25 000 residents.
The project was initiated in February 2021 and is focused on addressing the problem of inadequate water and poor sanitation in low-income urban communities in Bulawayo.
In a press statement, Friday, Coca-Cola foundation President, Saadia Madsbjerg said their strategy emphasises sustainable, efficient water usage.
โThis project is built on the success of the Coca-Cola Foundationโs Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), which improved access to clean water for six million Africans in more than 4,000 communities across 41 countriesโ, said Madsbjerg.
DanChurchAid Country Director Mads Schack Lindegard said the project is a strategy towards empowering communities to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, while delivering on the vital human need, of access to water.
โThe provision of the solarised boreholes will alleviate climate change-induced water shortages in low-income residential areas housing some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the city, which has been made possible through a generous grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation,โ said Lindegard.
The Mayor of Bulawayo, Councilor Solomon Mguni welcomed the project saying it will assist in improving water supply in the city.