COWDENBEATH Rotary Club’s 2024-25 international project will involve helping give a Zimbabwe community a much-needed water supply.

The country in southern Africa has been battling a cholera outbreak, with many cases being reported in urban areas.

The ZELA organisation, which works hard at trying to improve water and sanitary issues, reports that residents in urban areas have had to dig wells without being able to follow proper regulations.

They say that groundwater ends up getting contaminated, resulting in diseases.

Cowdenbeath Rotary Club’s involvement came through club president, Hank John, being involved in a pastoral event in Buckhaven, when he met a clergyman from Zimbabwe who told of issues in his community, with people suffering from health problems through a poor water supply.

Hank told Thursday’s club meeting: “The desire of the community is to sink a deep well which would provide a supply of good clean water, and piping, to ensure it is available to all."

One of the primary concerns is the reliance on open wells for accessing water, a practice fraught with problems, with residents drilling wells because of the failure by local authorities to provide clean, safe and portable water, despite having an obligation to do so in terms of Section 77 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

But the open wells are often contaminated with pollutants and sewage, becoming breeding grounds for waterborne diseases, including cholera.

Hank told club members: "The clergyman said that it would cost £2,000 to create the well and supply mechanism, and it occurred to me that a couple of years ago we were able to help a community in Kenya create an educational facility, thanks to raising funds for them with the help of a District 1010 grant.

“An inquiry showed that something similar could be achieved for this Zimbabwean community, and we have managed to get a grant of £1,200 towards the target.”

He added: “We also have £400 from a signed bottle of parliamentary whisky which was auctioned, which leaves us £400 to raise.”

The club members were enthusiastic in their support for the project and the Zimbabwean community are delighted with the news of the support from Cowdenbeath.