BRINGING CLEAN WATER TO THE PEOPLE
Wilderness Safaris donates borehole to Shokomoka settlement
ACCUSTOMED to fetching drinking water from the river, residents of Shokomoka settlement about 49 kilometers from Maun are celebrating as they finally have access to clean water in their backyard.
Wilderness Safaris through their Children in the Wilderness initiative in partnership with German Trade Partners & Friends and OTL logistics officially handed over a borehole estimated to be worth over P70,000 to the cheerful Shokomoka residents.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Wilderness Safaris Managing Director, Kim Nixon, revealed that they managed to raise the money for the borehole with the assistance of Karin Frohlich of German Trade Partners & Friends.
According to Nixon, they
have established a good relationship between them and residents of areas in which their businesses operate and that is how they got to know about the lack of access to clean water.
“Wilderness Safaris has been in Botswana for 40 years. We have always had a close relationship with the communities. During Covid (lockdown), we talked to the village leadership, Dikgosi, councillors, district commissioners and we made a decision to help in time of need. What became clear in those consultations is that the people of Shorobe and Shokomoka had two major problems being lack of food and lack of clean water,” said Nixon, adding that they then contacted their friends in Germany to help in raising funds to assist the communities.
For her part, Karin Frohlich of German Trade Partners & Friends said that when Covid-19 hit and Covid-19 restrictions were imposed, decimating a livelihood that was dependent on tourism, she got worried about the people who depended on the sector and decided to help.
Expressing gratitude, area councillor, Oabilwe Chombo, revealed that Shokomoka settlement is situated in an area where the rural settlement policy does not allow for the connection of water.
He further thanked Wilderness Safari for ensuring that the residents have clean water when government has failed its own people.
One of the residents of Shokomoka, Selelo Manga, expressed gratitude and said they can now take their medication with clean water as opposed to contaminated water from the river as before. Manga further pleaded with Wilderness Safaris to assist in fencing the borehole to protect it from wildlife and for them to start a horticulture project for the community.