Lack of clean water still a major challenge for Lesotho

Nthabiseng Matjeane and ’Mamotumi Sekoati of Thaba-Bosiu have to walk about 12 kilometres every day from their home village to their local primary school.

Even though they are now used to walking, these two little grade 4 girls still find it hard to walk the long distance without drinking water, especially in the afternoon when the temperatures are high.

There are no clean water sources between the school and their village except for small well, which springs from between two tiny rocks on their way home.

This is the only well where Nthabising, ’Mamotumi and other schoolmates normally draw drinking water from. But the wells are not covered, so the water is easily contaminated.

The girls are among the 22 per cent of the Lesotho population who do not have access to clean water.

“We have recently learnt from our science class that drinking unclean water is not healthy and we are now afraid that we may contract disease if we continue drinking from these wells,” says Nthabiseng.

These girls say they know about the Lesotho Red Cross Society because it helps some of their orphaned and vulnerable schoolmates with school fees, uniforms and school books.

Nthabising says she hopes “the Red Cross could also erect a water tap for us in this area so that we could have clean drinking water for our school.”

Even though Lesotho boasts of one of Africa’s biggest dams, the Katse dam, there is still lack of water in most parts of the country. And the demand for clean water and proper sanitary facilities has increased given the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the country.

“The need for clean water especially when one is dealing with AIDS clients is very high in our area,” says one care facilitator. “In most cases, children have the responsibility of looking after their sick parents and without clean water nearby it becomes quite a big challenge for children,” she said.

This year the Lesotho Red Cross Society in partnership with the Spanish Red Cross Society will be implementing a new Community Home-Based Care Project in Thaba-Bosiu and Mafeteng. “The plan is to integrate into this project a water and sanitation activity,” says the Dr. Thabelo Ramatlapeng the Lesotho Red Cross Secretary General.

Waterborne diseases pose a big threat to people living with HIV and a number of national Red Cross Societies, aware of the need to make living environments as safe as possible, are incorporating water and sanitation elements to the HIV/AIDS programming.

Water demand has risen considerably in Lesotho, largely as a result of increasing requirements by industry in urban centres. Plans include the development of the Metolong dam and water supply for various towns.