A R3.1 million project to rehabilitate 15 boreholes in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, is nearing its end, says Shumikazi Kwinana, programmes director for South Africa at ForAfrika, the largest African humanitarian development organisation.
ForAfrika received a R1.9m grant from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to rehabilitate nine of the boreholes as part of the South African government’s emergency response after at least 30 people died of cholera, a waterborne disease, in Hammanskraal in the first half of 2023. The rest of the funds came from a donor that has requested anonymity.
The IDC funding included water, sanitation and hygiene training, Kwinana says.
ForAfrika hopes to complete the project by the end of this month.
Some of the 15 boreholes had to be fully rehabilitated, with new casing laid, while others required smaller maintenance jobs. Each of the 15 boreholes now has a solar-powered pump, a filtration system and two 10 000-litre water tanks installed.
“It’s been a lot of work, but seeing the smiles on people’s faces as we finish each borehole has made it so worthwhile,” Kwinana says.
She says that most of the funding went towards the boreholes, while the training did not require much funding. The training instructs people on the importance of keeping water sources clean, as well as hygiene and sanitation requirements – such as considering Hammanskraal’s shallow water table when pit latrines are dug.