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Hardap Water project gets 25,000 Euro boost from German Embassy

Hardap Water project gets 25,000 Euro boost from German Embassy

The Maltahöhe Common water organization received 25,000 Euros to help with the project ‘Water for Hardap’, for the rehabilitation of six already existing boreholes in the area of Maltahöhe in the Hardap Region, from the micro-project fund of the German Embassy.

There are 453 wells in the traditional Nama area, of which 300 are potentially in need of rehabilitation in the next 10 years, according to the German Embassy in a statement.

“The wells are essential for the surrounding villages because if a pump breaks or there is no more fuel, the water has to be transported from far away. Some of the families are forced to move to other settlements because of this and there are not enough financial means to secure the water supply in the affected areas and there is a lack of know-how for repairing the system,” they added.

The Embassy further explained the project will rehabilitate the water supply and replace the old diesel pumps with CO2-free and low-maintenance solar-powered Grundfos pumps.

“The aim of the renovation is not only to secure a regular water supply but also to encourage local vegetable cultivation and animal husbandry to provide basic nutrition and to generate a small income for the residents and to ensure the long-term nature of the project, so-called ‘water point committees’ are set up,” they said.

One of the founders of the initiative Guido von Wietersheim said their experiences show that the residents feel highly responsible for the protection of the water supply.

“We are also seeing that social solidarity is growing and the organisation has already renovated 13 water pumps in 2022, with the support of the Embassy,” concluded Von Wietersheim.


 

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Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.