By Joyce Mukucha
Following the failure by the Harare City Council to supply water in the Eyestone Farm community in Waterfalls as well as challenges from submerged water pumps, Trek Petroleum gave a big relief to residents in the area after drilling a borehole.
In Harare, many communities lack the capacity to effectively adapt their current systems for water, sanitation, and hygiene to the community’s changing needs such as population growth, and changes in water quality.
In an interview with Zimpapers Radio News, Trek Petroleum Customer Relations and Marketing Manager Sharon Mutawarira said her company’s intervention and efforts were aimed at helping the community in which they are running a filling station to acquire the desperately needed safe and clean water.
The initiative, she added, was aimed at supporting the community since the people had nowhere to fetch water except at the filling station along Seke Road where many children were involved in accidents.
“We saw it fit to drill this borehole to serve the community. There were many cases of accidents that have happened of children who were trying to cross the road and fetch water at the filling station. So as part of our corporate social responsibility, we thought it is a good thing to give back to the community,” said Mutawarira.
Meanwhile, Member of the House of Assembly for Harare South Honourable Tongai Mnangagwa urged other local companies to emulate the pattern Trek Petroleum has set.
“We extend our gratitude for what trek has done to us. We always had a challenge here in Harare South but this initiative has come to relieve the residents and other companies should follow the things in the Trek’s footsteps,” he said.
Residents hailed the efforts by a local company of helping the community to access the basic means to maintain safer water and hygiene within their households at this time when water is scarce.
“Community water systems and water safety plans are important ways to ensure the health of the community,” said one of the residents.
The other one said, “Our women and children were at high risk of accidents as they were trying to cross the road and fetch water at the service station. We are very excited and grateful because of this initiative. We want to thank Trek Petroleum for remembering us.”
Additionally, women extended their appreciation to Trek as they said the initiative will allievate the plight of women and girls in as much as the struggle in search of water is concerned.
“We want to thank Trek for hearing our plight and helping us to access clean and safe water in our community. Sometimes we were denied access to fetch water at the service station and oftentimes we could fetch dirty water which was not safe for human consumption but this initiative will lessen our burden as women.”
In different communities, health and well-being are strongly affected by the environment in which people live.