WASH Project Zimbabwe

Access to water and better hygiene for more than 50,000 people in Zimbabwe.

The Salvation Army’s WASH project supports more than 50,000 people in Zimbabwe, including more than 11,000 school children. WASH stands for “Water, Sanitation and Health”.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

The Salvation Army’s WASH project in Zimbabwe takes full account of the important correlations between water, sewage, nutrition and health.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

In its WASH projects, the Salvation Army creates easily accessible and needs-appropriate water and sanitary facilities, reduces water poverty, improves the hygiene awareness and health of the people in the villages affected and safeguards their nutrition.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, a country once known as the breadbasket of Africa, now has serious water supply problems. Many types of food have to be imported from abroad.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Unfavourable climatic conditions such as scarce and irregular rainfall, as well as the government’s austerity programmes, have endangered the provision of water and sanitation – and with it the lives of the population.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Water shortages and poor quality water, combined with insufficient hygiene, have caused serious illnesses to spread. In 2008, for example, cholera broke out in Zimbabwe and claimed over 4,000 lives.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

The Salvation Army’s WASH projects have provided twelve communities and villages in Zimbabwe with improved access to water.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Water scarcity and the poor quality of drinking water are problems that almost exclusively affect rural areas – and 98% of the population live in the countryside.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

In the villages currently supported by the Salvation Army, people once had to walk for kilometres to fetch water – often of poor quality.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

The Salvation Army project makes obtaining, storing and using water feasible and more efficient for over 50,000 people in 12 villages in rural Zimbabwe.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

New reservoirs guarantee better water distribution in the villages.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

They deliver water for use in agriculture. New distribution systems allow or facilitate food cultivation.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Groundwater pumps give people access to water, even in places where there are no natural water sources.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

New water treatment equipment safeguards the supply of drinking water.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

The project also helps increase the number of toilets in villages and schools and ensures they meet higher standards of hygiene. The Salvation Army offers preventive hygiene education for everyone.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

After all, without health and hygiene education, the new water facilities would struggle to achieve their intended goals.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

More than half of the people in the affected areas did not have their own toilet. The situation was even worse in the schools.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

In one school, for example, there were only six toilets for 424 girls and only three toilets or urinals for 419 boys. Today things are different.

WASH Project Zimbabwe

Schools and health centres are also planting vegetable gardens to cultivate extra food. The WASH project even supports families who would like to plant a garden at home. Children at school are also given regular health checks.

Students of success: The Salvation Army is also implementing WASH projects in Kenya, Zambia, the Republic of Congo and South Africa.