Numwa schools and their surrounding rural community were struggling. The loss of their mains electricity supply in 2019 cut off their borehole pump and stopped the flow of clean, drinkable water to the community. In December 2019, we started fund-raising for solar panels to run the water pump and bring clean water back to this community and over 1,000 children attending Numwa's primary and secondary schools. With the beginning of the pandemic came a water crisis in the Numwa community, but 1 year on we are finally there... the panels have been installed at Numwa Secondary School and their community have clean running water once again.
After a year of struggling for clean water causing repeated school closures, this community is overjoyed to have regained what most of us would consider a basic commodity, particularly in the face of the global pandemic.
The installation of the panels will ensure that a clean, reliable and low-cost electricity supply will continue to run the borehole pump for years to come. The schools can now supply clean drinking water to their pupils, allowing the schools to remain open throughout the dry season.
Of course, this was only possible with the wonderful support from our donors.
The teachers of Numwa schools would like the donors to know they are truly grateful for every penny donated. The Head Teacher of Numwa Secondary School, Ketina Chamba (pictured right), said:
"I can't express the joy and appreciation... We are so grateful.".
The ordering and installation of the panels was overseen by secondary school teachers Dee Matsika and George Masenda, without whom this project would not have been possible. George said:
"You are really out of this world guys, if only the world had all the people like you guys, thanks."
So a big thank you to Dee, George and to all our supporters for your amazing contributions.
We would also like to extend special thanks to our major donor, Pell Frischmann, who's sponsorship of this project really got it off the ground.
Can We Do More?
Our wonderful solar panels at Numwa have returned the water supply to this rural community in Zimbabwe, but the school buildings remain without a reliable electricity supply. Severe droughts caused by climate change saw the mains (hydroelectric) power supply cut off in 2019, and although it restarted in 2020, it is now intermittent, unreliable, and increasingly expensive.
The secondary school has been given some computing equipment, which we would love to be available to the students to learn key IT skills. These skills can be vital in gaining future employment for these young people, without which they will have no income.
The school now has some older, reclaimed solar panels which could run this IT equipment, but they need batteries and inverters to get these installed.
We would love to raise a further £1,000 to complete the installation of the reclaimed solar panels and bring IT into the curriculum for these school children, offering them the education they deserve and hope for a sustainable future.
To find out more about step 2 of the Numwa solar project, please visit our Sustainable Schools Africa page or our crowdfunding page, and please, if you can, make a donation. No amount is too small, and every penny will go to help these inspiring children accomplish their dreams.
The joy of running water! The first borehole water out of the taps in Numwa, powered by our solar panels.
