Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene September 2018 Vol.13 No.4 | Page 5

NEWS in brief
Around Africa
Botswana
Goora-Seno Settlement
Reticulation
Gets
Electricity,
Water
Goora-Seno — Goora-Seno settlement, which was until
a few years ago, recognized as an extension of Kanye
under Kebuang ward will have both electricity and water
reticulation by next year, says area Member of Parliament,
Mr Patrick Ralotsia.
Mr Ralotsia, who is also portfolio Minister for Agricultural
Development and Food Security said during a kgotla
meeting he addressed recently that plans to render the two
essential services at the ward were at an advanced stage.
Had it not been due to delays by some people who
refuse to give way to the north-south carrier project that
runs through their property, Mr Ralotsia told residents’
connection could have taken place as early as 2017.
“We belief in consultation which unfortunately some
people have taken advantage of and thus caused
unnecessary delays to service delivery,” he said.
Also the MP encouraged residents to start wiring their
houses so that it will be all systems go by end of March
2019, which is the time when electricity will be made
available at Goora-Seno.
He said gone were the days when electricity was viewed as
luxury, stating that electrical power has become a way of life
and a necessary amenity that bolster human development.
On others, Kanye North lawmaker expressed worry
at growing incidents of stock theft, which he said had
spiraled out of control.
Cabo Verde
Water project in Cabo Verde saves communities,
transforms livelihoods of women
A water irrigation and supply system funded by the African
Development Bank has transformed the lives of rural
farming communities in Cabo Verde’s Santiago Island,
sparing farmers grueling treks of up to 20 kilometres to
fetch water for farming and daily use.
Santiago Island, Cabo Verde’s largest and most important
agricultural centre, depends on water for its survival, but
for years had been beset by endemic water shortages.
Traditionally women, who make up a significant percentage
of farmers, were hardest hit by the shortfall in supply.
The Lopes family is typical farmers hailing from the rugged
terrain on Santiago Island. For generations, families like
theirs struggled to eke out a living on land that was both
hard to work
and had low
yields. In the
dry
season,
many people
headed for the
towns in search
of work.
A beneficiary in her farm
That is now
mostly a thing of the past, thanks to the Picos and
Engenhos Watershed Management project, funded with a
US$ 7.55 million loan from the African Development Bank.
A steady flow of water has led to increased agricultural
output for 17 new farming associations that have brought
together almost 1,000 women smallholder farmers.
Fifty- year- old Amalia Lopes, is a member of one of the
women’s cooperatives which are showcasing the dramatic
change to Cabo Verde’s agricultural landscape. Now Lopes
looks forward to higher sales of beans and bananas from
her newly irrigated fields. , She can even afford to send her
son to university in Praia, the capital of Cabo Verde.
“The right conditions are now in place,” she says, as
she calls on youths to make the most of the improved
conditions.
As livelihoods improve, women are beneficiaries
Under the Picos and Engenhos Watershed Management
project, irrigation systems, wells and reservoirs were
constructed over a seven-year period. The Bank also
helped organize and support vocational training. Courses
in long-term agricultural produce, constructional and
agricultural engineering, and livestock management
or pasture improvement were organized. Most of the
beneficiaries have been women.
Kenya
Takataka Solutions’ Answer to Heaps of Trash in
Nairobi
Nairobi is a bustling
city. It is home to
about 7 million
people... and, well, a
lot of rubbish.
The city generates
more than 4,000
Dandora dump site
metric tonnes of
waste every day, owing to its large population. But have
you ever wondered what happens to the gobs of waste that
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • September 2018
5