No more carrying water containers
MBABANE - Carrying water containers for long distances can have long lasting negative health effects.
This shall soon become a thing of the past for women and girls who walk long distances to collect water with heavy vessels, as Green Living Movement (GLM) in collaboration with University of Eswatini (UNESWA), has designed an efficient and innovative device known as a water roller.
The device operates much like a wheelbarrow, designed to fit medium and heavy water containers that can be pulled or pushed. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Internation Chilsren’s Fund (UNICEF) report, three quarters of households without access to drinking water on their premises, tasked women and girls with the primary responsibility to collect it.
Collaboration
GLM Director Ntombifuthi Mavuso stated that in collaboration with UNESWA, they were hoping to introduce the water roller project to communities in Lavumisa and other communities in dire need. Mavuso stated that the objective of the project was to alleviate the burden of carrying water containers for long distances, save time and energy for women and girls and also motivate the children and men to partake in water collection. She said women and girls in the country often walked long distances to get water to meet their families’ basic needs. “They are left with
Green Living Movement Director Ntombifuthi (L) and Dr Ababu from UNESWA pushing the water rollers.
little to no time for work, school or to care for family.” She said, time and labour demands were enormous. Mavuso mentioned that without water or toilets at home, women could not live up to their full potential. Furthermore she stated that walking to collect water and carrying heavy vessels of water could be dangerous for women and girls.
Mavuso added that some of the women collected water from unsafe sources resulting in the consumption of unsafe water, which was harmful to the health
of the whole family.
Meanwhile, Mavuso noted that GLM and UNESWA were committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six ‘clean water and sanitation’ and five ‘gender equality’ by 2030 paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. She also invited interested organisations (local and international) to sponsor the up scaling of the water roller in relevant rural areas in Eswatini in cooperation with GLM.