Safe, clean drinking water for Onjuva Clinic in the Kunene Region courtesy of the US government
By Linda Machinga
The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) recently funded the borehole project at Onjuva village in the Kunene Region, with Geo Pollution Technologies contracted to perform the work.
The residents of Onjuva Village now have a sustainable source of safe drinking water after the construction of the borehole which cost US$98,821.01, as well as the installation of water purification and softening system, for the Onjuva Clinic.
The head nurse at the Onjuva Clinic, Jeremia Freeman said the borehole and purifier are a welcome relief and will ensure that they can continue to provide health services in a sanitary environment to the surrounding community. Following the collapse of the community borehole, water had to be transported via a pick-up truck with water tanks from a nearby community campsite’s borehole at great expense.
Freeman expressed his gratitude to the US government in answering the community’s call for help, adding that the water from the new borehole is of a much higher quality than before due to the filtration and purifying system.
“It is essentially a two day drive from Windhoek. The site is very remote and can only be reaached by roads that are, in some places, barely better than 4 by 4 trail,” said Senior Defense Official and Defense Aattche for U.S Embassy Windhoek Lt Col John Lacy.
After the clinic was funded by both USAFRICOM and the Ministry of Healthy and Social Services was inaugurated in June 2017, the community borehole supplying water to the clinic collapsed, leading Minister of Health and social Services Dr. Bernard Haufiku to request assistance from U.S Embassy.
