THE Lot water Project, Friday, commissioned its third solar-powered borehole in Bulawayo which was drilled at Cowdray Park Primary School, giving water access to a community that has been facing water challenges.
United States-based Zimbabwean, Innocent Hadebe, who is the founder of the project, presided over the commissioning in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, where he promised to drill three more boreholes in the city before the end of the year.
Hadebe, who made the trip from the United States to officially launch the borehole, said they are gaining traction as an organisation having managed to bring more partners on board hence the ability to sink more boreholes.
The recently built school will be able to alleviate the water challenges they had been facing with the installation of the solar-powered borehole.
Hadebe said while the borehole was drilled within the school premises, the surrounding community will have access to the water.
“Our thrust as the Lot Project is to provide safe water to communities and while we decided to sink this borehole within the school premises for the benefit of the institution, we agreed that community members will also have access to the water.
“We believe pupils are the future hence we want to improve the learning environment while also giving students the opportunity to delve into agriculture, which we feel holds the future for our country,” he said.
The borehole becomes the third water source the Lot Project has built-in Bulawayo with the first having been drilled in Luveve close to Masina Cocktail Bar with the second one situated at Amakhosi Grounds in Gwabalanda.
Conceived during the Luveve dysentery outbreak in 2020 which saw at least 13 residents lose their lives while thousands were hospitalised, the Lot Project has made it its mission to provide safe drinking water to residents and built the three solar-powered boreholes for over $42 000.
Hadebe added their long term vision is to build a filtration plant that will be able to deliver water to houses or closer to residents and they are looking at establishing the plant within five years at a cost of US$600 000.
The commissioning was attended by various community leaders including the member of Parliament for the area, Honourable Stella Ndlovu, Bulawayo Residents Association (BURA) representatives, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) representatives, Education ministry officials, school authorities, pupils and members of the community.
