Commissioning Ceremony for the Grant Aid Project for Groundwater Development in Luapula Province Phase 3

　

　

　On 24th May 2017, a Commissioning Ceremony was held for the Grant Aid Project for the Groundwater Development in Luapula Province Phase 3. A total of about 500 attendees included Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hidenobu Sobashima, Hon. Lloyd Mulenga Kaziya, Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, Hon. David Mabumba, Minister of Energy, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa, Minister of Luapula Province, traditional leaders, other invited guests and many residents of Kapala village.

　The problems of poverty are abundant in Luapula Province, and the resources of safe and clean water are limited. The people used water from such sources as rivers, ponds and lakes, which caused them to suffer from water-borne diseases. In addition, the residents, particularly women and children, had to walk a long distances to fetch water. These have affected the social and economic activities of the area.

　Therefore, the Japanese Government, in order to provide more clean and safe drinking water to people in Luapula Province, constructed a total of 416 (200 + 216) boreholes fitted with hand the pumps through the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Grant Aid Project for the Groundwater Development in Luapula Province, as a further follow-up,  the Japanese Government extended the grant amounting to 858 million Japanese Yen for the Phase 3 from Fiscal Year 2014 to provide more safe drinking water in the region and build a mechanism to maintain boreholes and piped water facilities which resulted in the construction of an additional 176 such boreholes and 5 piped water facilities in 6 Districts of Luapula.

　As a result of the three Phases of cooperation, about 180 thousand people have obtained access to safe drinking water which will contribute to the decrease of the numbers of the people who suffer from water-borne diseases, to the release of the people, particularly women and children who had the water fetching work, and subsequently to the vitalization of the social and economic activities of the region and to the increased opportunities and longer time for children to study, among other benefits.

　　To read the speech made by Ambassador Sobashima at this ceremony, please click here.