On 28 November, the official opening of a new water kiosk in Chisamba took place – an important milestone for a region where reliable water and sanitation infrastructure has long been lacking. For around 1,300 people, the commissioning of the kiosk marks a significant improvement in access to safe drinking water.
Constructed in only three months, the kiosk comprises a closed four-square-metre structure, is connected to a 500-metre pipeline and is equipped with a 10,000-litre storage tank capable of providing several hundred residents with water for multiple days – even in case of power outages.
The facility was built through the close cooperation within the operator partnership between the German utilities GELSENWASSER AG, Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband and Emscher Wassertechnik GmbH and their Zambian partner Lukanga Water Supply and Sanitation Company. Together, they funded the kiosk for the communities in Kabanana and surrounding settlements, which together are home to more than 10,000 people.
The significance of the project was emphasised by numerous speeches during the opening ceremony. Chisamba District Commissioner Joel Mboyoma highlighted that access to water also means access to opportunity – for education, health and economic activity. Local community leaders stressed the substantial relief the kiosk will provide for families, particularly for women and children who previously had to walk long distances to collect water. Dr Dirk Waider, Chief Technology Officer at GELSENWASSER, reminded those present that clean drinking water is a human right and that sharing knowledge and expertise is not only a responsibility but a commitment.
The inauguration demonstrated in an impressive way how this operators partnership cooperation under the Utility Platform, co-financed by the Global Gateway of the European Union in the NEWZA project of GIZ Zambia, can lead to further funding resulting in tangible improvements in people’s everyday lives.
