Paramount Chief Kawinga blasts NGOs in water sector
Paramount Chief Kawinga has criticised organisations implementing water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash)-related activities in Machinga District for failing to follow procedures when initiating their projects.
The chief, who is the district’s Wash Champion, said this in an interview on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 2021 Annual Wash Forum organised by Heart to Heart Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.
He said the development leads to substandard work as their activities are not monitored by relevant district council authorities.
Kawinga said: “I must condemn the tendency of most organisations that come straight to the communities without going through the district council for technical advice.
“They come straight to the community and provide us with substandard services. For instance, organisations come to the community and drill shallow boreholes which dry up during the dry season. This is bad because resources are wasted for no apparent reason.”
Kawinga commended Heart to Heart Foundation for providing quality Wash services in the district and asked other organisations to emulate this.
“When you involve the district council fully, quality work is delivered as we have seen with Heart to Heart Foundation which has done a commendable job,” he said.
Traditional Authority (T/A) Mtumbwinda suggested that the council should come up with water committees at T/A level to monitor the drilling of boreholes to ensure that they follow the required standards.
Machinga District water development officer Steve Meja agreed with the suggestion to form water committees at T/A level.
He said: “What the people are proposing is a good idea and we can learn from other districts which have similar initiatives.
I think once implemented, there will be total sanity in as far as quality service delivery is concerned.”
Heart to Heart Foundation programmes coordinator Derlings Phiri said they provide safe water through boreholes to over 17 000 people in three T/As.
“We are happy that people who used to drink water from unsafe sources are now able to draw water from safe sources. The lives of these people have been transformed,” he said.
