Women and Water: Lessons Learned from a Humanitarian Intervention at Igusi Clinic, Matabeleland, Zimbabwe

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
water
women
Zimbabwe
sanitation
hygiene
community health
sustainable development goals
clean water
WASH
global health
public health
gender equality
Environmental Public Health
International Public Health
Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Water Resource Management
Women's Health
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

This article highlights the disproportionate impact of water scarcity on women and girls in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. We emphasize one Zimbabwean woman's efforts to implement a sustainable water solution for a community of 20,000 citizens. Lumbie Mlambo, Founder and President of the nonprofit JB Dondolo, Inc., took action following reports that people in the community her father was aiding were falling ill, mothers could not carry their pregnancy to full terms, and infant mortality rates were rising. Before Lumbie's intervention, the only water available was contaminated by polluted soil. Moreover, the climate change-induced droughts and floods made the potable water hard to find and collect. As a result, the only source of water infrastructure was at the Igusi birthing clinic and the nearby secondary school sharing the same pipe system. This lack of clean water particularly affected pregnant women who gave birth at the clinic and their newborns and the girls who attended the nearby school. Following her father's death, Lumbie set out to fulfill his dying wish to help the people he was serving. While she faced many obstacles, Lumbie overcame these challenges and removed barriers of access to clean water for the community. Lessons learned from this experience include gender biases in humanitarianism, community participation, and water resource management planning. Key recommendations include early stakeholder engagement in community development, elevation of women's voices, and investment in partnership building.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2022-02-13
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection