By ETAMBUYU SANG’ANDU –
UNITED States (US) Ambassador to Zambia Eric Shultz has said that his government is helping local communities in the country to develop initiatives that promote improved sanitation and safe
environment.
Mr Shultz said environmental friendly initiatives would provide support to sustain the larger Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact programmes.
He said this during the commissioning of bio-gas latrines at David Livingstone and Chazanga reach-out community schools which were constructed at a cost of over US$67 million.
“We hope that the use of bio-digesters and their by-products will serve as an example to other schools and communities,” said Mr Shultz.
Water and Sanitation Zambia (WASAZA) chief administration officer Jonathan Phiri said WASAZA was committed to supporting and improving water and sanitation in communities.
Mr Phiri said the bio-latrines had proved to be more sustainable and was a better option for settlement areas like Chazanga where most households were not connected to conventional central sewerage systems.
He said the project was aimed at improving the health and hygiene standards of children by providing new and refurbished toilet facilities in the form of bio latrines.
Mr Phiri said the facilities included provisions for rainwater harvesting, hand washing and menstrual hygiene management to help the girl child.
MCC deputy chief executive Nancy Lee noted that as of 2014, more than 40 per cent of Zambia’s population lived in urban areas and that the situation created overabundance of waste that should be dealt with.
Dr Lee said more than 1,300 people, including the pupils would benefit from the bio-latrines project.