Zimbabwe: Mbire Water Project
Wells and water for families
Together with longstanding partners, we ensure a supply of clean drinking water for 1,000 small farmers and their families. The Mbire region is one of the largest growing areas for hibiscus, one of the most important ingredients for our fruit teas.
Sustainable cultivation with new perspectives
Many people in the Mbire region in the country’s North have lived from cotton and tobacco for a long time. In the meantime, the effects of climate change are highly noticeable: the land is becoming drier; the harvests, worse. Therefore, together with a longstanding partner, we show the small farmers how they can sustainably grow hibiscus instead of the usual crops. By doing this, we offer them an entirely new perspective. The advantage: hibiscus is robust and requires little water and thus provides reliable harvests and reliable income. The people share the acquired knowledge within the community so that everyone benefits from it.
Drinking water supply for 1,000 families
Mbire is one of the driest regions in the country. People must often walk long distances to fetch water, which is sometimes contaminated river water. We are doing something to combat this: in close cooperation with the local communities, we are selecting locations for ten new wells that will supply 1,000 small farmers and their families, that’s almost 5,000 people, with drinking water in the future. The village residents learn how to maintain the wells and can thereby permanently secure the water supply themselves for the long term. Also, women are usually responsible for the water. Therefore, they are trained and sensitised to drinking water hygiene so that they and their families remain healthy.
