Impact of the partnership in the water provision In Kwamwena valley in Chongwe district: the case of Lusaka water and sewarage company and the millenium challenge account.
Date
2020
Authors
Bwale, Peter
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Publisher
University Of Zambia
Abstract
Cooperating partners are important in the implementation of social service programs such as provision of water. These partners can generally help to supplement government effort to achieve its goal for making water available and accessible to the population. However, there is little research done on accessing the role of cooperating partners in urban, semi-urban and rural arears like the case with new residential areas, such as Kwamwena Valley in Chongwe District, Lusaka Province in Zambia.
The study objectives were: to find out whether the accessibility to clean and safe water has improved as result of the partnership in the provision of water in Kwamwena valley in Chongwe district; to examine the effect of collaboration of partners in the provision of water in Kwamwena valley in Chongwe district; and to establish the challenges that partners face in the provision of water in Kwamwena Valley in Chongwe district.
To achieve the set objectives, the study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The research had a population sample of one hundred and fifty respondents. Survey questionnaires were administered to one hundred respondents, nine participated in the Focus Group Discussion, while two were each interviewed as Key Informants.
The study findings show that there was improvement in access to clean and safe water as a result of the water supply project. Before the project, residents relied on water that was sourced either from boreholes or open wells. However, the water from either of the two sources was not always fit for human consumption due to contamination. Moreover, even child labour had declined, whereas prior to the water project’s completion, they would go on errands to fetch water from the single borehole which was serving our water needs. The project also provided resources to the LWSC which enabled it to extend the service of water in the area, although a lot still needs to be done to extend water service coverage to the residents even further.
The study recommendations are that There is need for consented efforts by LWSC to scale up surveillance and maintenance measure to ensure the safety of water supplied to the residents on Kwamwena Valley;
i. Currently, in spite of their being adequate water supply in Kwamwena valley, not everyone was connected to water system therefore, there is need for LWSC to carry out community sensitisation on health benefits of connecting to pipped water supply network; ii. LWSC should also engage the community and encourage behavioural change in the way they interact with water infrastructure, because vandalism issues were rampant in the area. The community should also adopt to the water infrastructure, protect it and also pay for the water services; and iii. LWSC should setup a satellite office in Kwamwena valley to facilitate efficient operational logistics.
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National Water Supply & Sanitation Council (Zambia)--Periodicals.