Lack of water security is stalling progress

No significant progress will come for as long as there is no water security

Marist Bothers Dete currently gets its water from ZINWA, via a pipeline that connects the school to Dete. Unfortunately, that source alone, with no backup, means that Marist will sometimes go for periods of time without water coming in! All of that, with 514 boarders plus their teachers!

No surprise that that the school garden is producing virtually nothing. Food items, including vegetables, meat, milk, etc, are bought from external sources: at some cost to the school.

The school administrators and parents are fully aware and do desire to become self sufficient. They are currently working on improving the situation as much as they can, but have to work within the limitations that all institutions of Marist’s standing face.

A separate more detailed report covering food and food production will be published later. For now, we will keep the focus on water.

The solution and plan: to sink two boreholes

  • One borehole at Nengasha dam for general water supplies
  • One borehole at the school garden in order to get food production restarted

Funding will be raised through a school fees increase / levies. This has been accepted by parents and now needs approval from Government.

With the school roll at 514, a fee rise of just $20 per student per term will raise $10280 in one term. Once approved and fees are collected, that fund will go towards sinking the Nengasha borehole (previously quoted at $12000). The following term fees will fund another the other borehole inside the garden – to help restart that once wonderful source of cabbages and tomatoes.

Additional external help will speed things up and help get the school to the next set of tasks sooner: food security, A levels, you name it. Without reliable sources of water, none of these can materialize?


What can MOSA do?

Fundraising Fundraising Fundraising …….

We (old students) have the numbers: more than the current school roll. We wont need to pay the ‘full fees’ equivalent ($400) either. If all of us can contribute just half of the the $20 increase ($10), we will more than double the amount the school will raise through its planned school fees increase!

Budget: $12000 for one borehole. We can do it.

What next? Please discuss. Will update the article once your comments are received.


4 thoughts on “Lack of water security is stalling progress

  1. im glad to hear about the progress. Lets give them the support they need. How do we contribute the money?

  2. do we deposit the money in the bank,get a receipt and then what,is this account for these donations!!

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