Improved Access to Water in Drought-Affected Regions of Southern Angola

In the context of the emergency response to drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon in Southern Angola, World Vision, in partnership with People in Need Angola and funded by the StartFund, is conducting the rehabilitation and installation of water wells in Huíla province.

On July 18th, a Start Fund team led by Mariam Joshi, Crisis Financing Specialist, and Chiara Brogi, Start Fund Officer, visited Chibia municipality to monitor and evaluate the progress of field work conducted by World Vision. During the visit, the team inspected the water wells at Caculuvale II and Mukua Kapange, confirming the completion of these initial points, which will soon be inaugurated and handed over to the community through the local management committee.

Suzana Geremias is one of the beneficiaries and understands the vital importance of access to water for her and her family's survival. For her, water is not only an essential resource for drinking and preparing food, but also for maintaining hygiene and overall well-being.

"We are very happy with the water we received. Before, we were in a very difficult situation: our Caculuvale river dried up and we didn't have enough water for drinking, washing, and daily tasks. The water we had was unsafe to drink and brought many diseases. Now that we have clean water brought to us, we will take care of it, because if we don't, we will suffer the consequences," emphasized Suzana with a mix of relief and hope, as a member of the water point management group.

To date, WVA has formed over ten Water and Sanitation Groups (WASG), each responsible for managing a water point. Local community volunteers have been trained in topics such as Community-Led Total Sanitation and Community Water Management Model, aiming to ensure sustainability and maintenance of the water points.

These water wells are expected to provide approximately 15,000 liters of water per day, benefiting over 1,200 people in Caculuvale II commune and nearly 6,000 people in Mukua Kapange commune, as well as over 300 head of cattle daily. Each structure includes a reservoir with a capacity of over 7,000 liters of water. By the conclusion of activities, the rehabilitation of a total of ten water points in Chibia municipality by World Vision Angola is planned.