By WANG XIAODONG and VICTOR RABALLA in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe |
China Daily |
Malid Chanakira pumps water from a newly installed borehole in Taruwona village, Marondera District, Zimbabwe. For years, the grandmother endured water shortages and relied on an unreliable fuel-powered pump. VICTOR RABALLA / CHINA DAILY
Whenever drought struck Marondera District in Zimbabwe, women and girls bore the heaviest burden, rising before dawn to embark on grueling journeys in search of the precious commodity.
Traditionally responsible for fetching water, they would often walk several kilometers under the scorching sun — a daily trek that robbed children of valuable school hours, limited women’s economic opportunities and exposed families to unsafe water sources.
