Deputy Minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire has pledged to complete Ezweleni Clinic which is located in Mzimba district to address the problem of long distance which people in the area travel when seeking health services.
The statement was made yesterday as Mkandawire was donating a borehole to people of Group Village Headman Msikinya Jere, T/A Mpherembe in the district .
Mkandawire also said that he will make sure the health institution is fully stocked with medication and that personnel should be deployed to the health facility to start working.
He added that he will as well make sure the road network in the area is greatly improved to ease mobility.
“I have also promised to help with roofing of the school block that will be constructed by the community so that the primary school should be upgraded to Full Primary school; I will help in making sure that the nearby Ezweleni Clinic is finished and fully stocked with medication and that personnel should be deployed to the health facility to start working; and, I will make sure the road network in the area is greatly improved to ease mobility,” he said.
On the donation, Mkandawire said the borehole has been drilled with the help of well wishers.
He addded that it is President Lazarus Chakwera’s policy to make sure every school has clean water supply for the learners and staff.
“I therefore, urged the chiefs and the entire community to take responsibility of taking care of the borehole,” he said.
In his remarks, Group Msikinya Jere expressed gratitude for the borehole saying water was a very scarce commodity in the area which they never thought they could easily access.
He added that before the borehole, people from all the 17 villages and learners and staff of St Austin Junior Primary School had difficulties to access clean water.
“All the nearby boreholes which were dug long time ago are dysfunctional. The only source of water has been Tchesamu River which is about 2 km from the school premises. But now the river has dried up, therefore people had to dig small wells in the sand to access water. These wells also provided water to the animals from the area. It was a health hazard to the community to share drinking water source with animals,” he explained.
On his part, the Headmaster of St Austin JP School also expressed gratitude. He said learners and staff had to go to the river to draw water from wells for their daily use and it was quite challenging especially when the school needed to keep up with hygiene measures to curb Covid 19 such that the situation affected the performance of learners.
The community comprises 17 villages and 332 learners are direct beneficiaries of the borehole.
