Just three years ago, many would have thought backyard gardens were impossible in Zambia’s arid Sinazongwe district.  

Today, when I visit the villages in and around the area, I see families growing their own food – corn, vegetables, even peanuts. I see the smiling, healthy faces of children on their way to and from school. I see well-fed goats, chickens, cows and other livestock. I see communities thriving. 

It’s proof that bringing local access to clean water makes the impossible, possible.  

Operation Eyesight began working in Sinazongwe in 2001.Over the last three years, in partnership with the Zambia Department of Water Affairs, our focus has been rehabilitating defunct and dysfunctional water boreholes in the area, as well as drilling new ones. To date, we have drilled 106 boreholes and rehabilitated 96 more around Sinazongwe – bringing clean, fresh water to communities that previously lacked local water sources.  

Why rehabilitate boreholes rather than just drill new ones? Unlike drilling a new water borehole which takes time to identify a location and install necessary infrastructure, rehabilitation of previously drilled (by other NGOs) and non-functioning boreholes costs less and brings many quick wins for communities. Therefore, borehole rehabilitation makes the best use of every dollar spent.

Clean water and avoidable blindness

Operation Eyesight’s mission is to prevent blindness and restore sight. In Sinazongwe, trachoma was one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. I use the past tense, because our partnership with local communities to improve access to clean water has reduced the prevalence of this devastating infection in the district.  

Trachoma is a bacterial infection that leads to irreversible blindness if left untreated. Although trachoma can be treated with antibiotics if caught early enough, lack of access to fresh water and inadequate hygiene are significant contributors to this painful disease’s spread through villages and communities. So, in Sinazongwe, bringing access to fresh water is the most effective way to address preventable blindness at its root cause, as well as prevent the transmission of many other illnesses and diseases. When people have access to fresh water, they can wash their hands, faces and clothing and prevent the spread of infection. 

I often explain to our donors and hospital partners that you can’t tell people to wash their face if they have no clean water. Our team works in these communities every day and we are now starting to see behavioural changes where people are washing their faces more frequently. We are therefore addressing the root cause – and not the effect – of the problem. 

I have personally seen the shift that takes place when clean water comes into a community. It’s an impact that extends beyond eye health, hygiene and improved health outcomes generally.

Downstream benefits

Access to water targets a range of different issues, especially for those responsible for drawing water: women and children.  

In my work with Zambian communities over the past four years, I have found that bringing water closer to home actually improves school attendance in the majority of schools and communities where we are working. In fact, in areas where Operation Eyesight is working, we are seeing more girls in school than boys.  It’s actually giving girls a chance to get an education. 

Why? Because they don’t have to walk long distances fetching water from water holes, rivers and streams. This labour-intensive process leaves them fatigued when the time comes to go to school later in the day.  

When water is far away, families are unable to store enough for their household. They may have enough for cooking and drinking, but do not have enough for washing and cleaning. Additionally, depending on its source, water may not be safe to drink. On the other hand, when clean water points are closer to home, it means families have enough water in their household at any given time.

Getting the whole community involved

We know that community ownership and maintenance of a borehole ensures its longevity. I have seen first-hand that partnering with local community leaders to form Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) committees – comprised of both men and women – helps spread awareness in the community about how to use and maintain the borehole and ensures its longevity.  

Experience has taught us that children can be our greatest teachers. School WASH clubs are also making waves in their communities, building healthy hygiene habits among students by encouraging them to wash their faces when they arrive at school. Health education sessions are also helping make children ambassadors for proper hygiene when they go back to their own families.

Replicating success 

Part of what makes Operation Eyesight so unique is our philosophy of not only empowering communities to look after their own water sources, but also our ability to scale and spread these successes.  

The benefits and quick wins that come with locally-available fresh water are not limited to Sinazongwe but can – and are – being replicated in other parts of the country and African continent. In 2021 we drilled five new boreholes and rehabilitated 51 more in communities in Zambia’s Central province and have similar projects underway in other parts of Kenya.  

Our approach to empowering communities and amplifying impact is what makes Operation Eyesight so unique. We are targeting vision loss and preventable blindness at their root cause. 

Replicating our approach, while taking into consideration the unique needs and strengths of our communities of work, we are bringing entire communities back to life, health and prosperity.

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Clean Water and Avoidable Blindness

Access to clean water is an important part of ending serious eye infections like trachoma, the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. Trachoma causes the eyelid to turn inward so that the eyelashes rub the eyeball. This results in intense pain, scarring of the cornea and ultimately, irreversible blindness. Although trachoma can be treated with medicine and, in more severe cases, surgery, the most effective way of reducing rates of this painful infection is to address one of the root causes, which is lack of adequate sanitation. With access to clean water, people can wash their hands, faces, clothing and homes and prevent the spread of trachoma. This improved sanitation also aids in the reduction of other serious illnesses such as diarrheal disease, upper-respiratory infections and other communicable diseases like COVID-19.

Drilling and Rehabilitating Boreholes

Operation Eyesight follows the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy for eliminating trachoma in areas of Kenya and Zambia. SAFE is a comprehensive treatment and prevention program that includes:

• Surgery to treat trichiasis (the painful late stage of the disease)
• Antibiotics to eliminate infection
• Face washing and hygiene education
• Environmental improvement including wells and latrines

Properly implemented, the SAFE strategy permanently eliminates trachoma. One of the key factors for achieving this is drilling or rehabilitating boreholes. In recent years, we’ve shifted our focus from drilling new boreholes to rehabilitating existing, dysfunctional boreholes. The cost-savings employed by this method allow us to reach many more communities.

When a borehole is drilled or rehabilitated, we establish local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) committees. These committees are trained on how to maintain the borehole and ensure its longevity. Properly maintained boreholes can provide clean water for decades. The WASH committees also provide community health education sessions to help people improve their sanitation habits. They incorporate messages on facial cleanliness and environmental improvements such as the proper building of latrines. 

The Ripple Effect of Clean Water

Clean water does so much more than prevent blindness. Families are able to grow more nutritious food and easily water their livestock when water is easily accessible. This leads to a reduced prevalence of illnesses resulting from poor nutrition. It also gives women and girls more opportunities. The task of hauling fresh water for long distances most commonly falls to women and girls. Depending on the area, the journey can also be dangerous, and the water from unprotected sources may not be safe. When clean water is easily accessible, women and girls have time to go to school, earn a living independently, and be actively involved in their families and communities.

Communities with a clean water source also become hubs of local trade and provide increased economic opportunities. New schools are often built near boreholes because of their central location and easy access to water. Existing schools are expanded on to accommodate for the increase in attendance resulting from more girls being able to participate in school now that they don’t have to walk far distances to fetch water. Read this story about how a borehole increased the attendance at Mweela School by 274 students.

This World Water Day, you can help bring the positive ripple effects of clean water to a community in need. Please donate today.

The post The value of clean water – World Water Day 2021 appeared first on Operation Eyesight.