Following up on a successful nationwide campaign that mobilized resources to fight cholera, MDC-USA has just launched the Adopt-a-borehole for clean water campaign. The campaign seeks to raise vital funds for the construction of boreholes in a number of rural areas hardest hit by a water crisis.

Last week, MDC-USA approached US companies which responded swiftly with an outstanding donation of 1million packets of water purification chemicals enough to provide 10 million gallons of purified water to the people of Zimbabwe. (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081223/BIZ01/812240305/). The packets will be distributed by a global health organization (names withheld on request of donors). The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has been largely triggered by contaminated water supply, in addition to a severe shortage especially in the rural areas. 

Given Zimbabwe’s current water woes, MDC-USA is seriously committed to improving livelihoods for the most vulnerable people who happen to reside in the rural areas. The natural starting point is the sinking of boreholes whose pivotal role is to provide a safe water supply and adequate sanitation for rural communities. In doing so, incidences of waterborne diseases such as cholera are greatly reduced.

In addition, sinking boreholes will enable the communities to engage in vegetable and crop production, undertake other household income generating projects and to provide for cattle watering. For impoverished areas where nothing is affordable to them, gardening projects will be essential for the provision of better nutrition and the general improvement of health. The economic crisis in Zimbabwe has demanded that people become increasingly dependent on their own as the government fails to provide for basic necessities. However rural communities have been systematically the most hard-hit due to a severe lack of resources. Boreholes are expected to help reduce poverty.

The campaign will be targeting corporate America for assistance as well as individual donors. MDC-USA executive has started off the campaign with a personal donation to wholly sponsor one borehole that will be sunk immediately in one of the hardest-hit areas, soon to be announced.