More than 3 000 people in Okledeni, a village near Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal, now have clean running water. A solar-powered water system was opened there on Sunday, 11 October.
The project was built by Innovation: Africa, a non-profit group that brings Israeli technology to rural African communities. According to the SA Jewish Report, Okledeni is the 228th village in South Africa to get water through the group.
The organisation said it has brought water to 1 487 villages across Africa so far. The Okledeni system was paid for by The Victor Daitz Foundation.
“Before the opening of the tap, we went with the donors to see where women were collecting water,” founder and chief executive Sivan Yaari told the SA Jewish Report.
Yaari said women in the village had walked up and down a steep hill for decades to fetch water. They made the trip two to three times a day. Some walks took up to an hour each way.
She said the water from that open source was visibly dirty. This raised concerns about the risks of drinking it and using it at home.
Workers found water 150 metres below the ground, with a flow rate of 2.1 litres a second. More than 3km of pipes were laid to carry it to 11 taps around the village.
Solar panels give the system the power it needs to pump the water. This means it does not depend on normal electricity supply.
Yaari said the opening ceremony brought together community members, royalty, traditional leaders and local government leaders. One of the new taps was turned on during the event, and the crowd celebrated.
She said women spoke about protecting their families from illness carried by dirty water. They also spoke about having water for personal hygiene.
“They want to open businesses now that they will have more time and they can use the water to open new businesses,” Yaari said.
Fourteen people from the village worked with the contractor for four months. They learned how to run, repair and look after the solar system. Each of them received a certificate at the ceremony.
Yaari said the training could help them find jobs because it gave them practical technical skills.
The community elected a water committee to look after the system. The committee signed a memorandum of understanding which confirms that the community owns the installation.
The committee has also opened a bank account. Each household pays into it, so money is ready when repairs or maintenance are needed.
The Victor Daitz Foundation only supports projects in KwaZulu-Natal. According to the SA Jewish Report, it has now funded four villages in the province.
Yaari said the community welcomed the news that the technology came from Israel. “We mentioned that we’re from Jerusalem,” she said. “It was well received.” People at the event danced together to the song Jerusalema.
Innovation: Africa was started 18 years ago. It works in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Cameroon.
In South Africa, its projects have reached villages in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
In an earlier interview with the SA Jewish Report, Yaari said she first doubted that South Africa needed the group’s help. She changed her mind after visiting rural villages where women walked long distances to collect dirty water.
Yaari said the organisation plans to keep growing its work in South Africa and in other parts of Africa.
Source: this article is based on reporting by South African Jewish Report. Image: South African Jewish Report. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.