By More Matshediso
BLOEMFONTEIN – Rietfontein Trust residents walked home with a spring in their stride following the donation of innovative 90-litre water casks worth R125 000 donated by Bloem Water on Tuesday, November 13 and dubbed Hippo Water Rollers.
Rietfontein is one of the trusts surrounding Thaba Nchu Township where access to water has been a lifelong problem for residents, but new developments and innovations are redeeming the water struggle.
Bloem Water has already distributed similar water carriers to residents in Moroto, Mariasdal, Long Ridge and Rakhoe Villages in Thaba Nchu earlier this year.
The barrel-shaped container is the Imvubu Project’s initiative that enables people to transport almost five times the amount of water than the traditional heavy 20 kilograms bucket that rural area residents usually use to fetch potable water.
“The product is convenient for rural communities because it has a wireframe handle that makes it easy for anyone to roll-over, not to carry and feel the heavyweight (90 litres which is equivalent to 90kgs) of water.”
The barrel was re-designed to enable people without water taps in their yards to transport water from distant water sources to their homes. It can also be used for drip irrigation to water crops.
Dr Benny Malakoane, Chief executive Officer of Bloem Water said he was surprised over five years ago when he was at the World Water Forum in France during the innovation hub, where creativity that could help develop African countries was displayed, to see South Africans displaying products that were not visible to their fellow citizens who needed them most.
“The Hippo water Rollers were invented in South Africa but I first saw them in France because they were not visible here in South Africa. I then came back and traced the Imvubu Project and partnered with them,” said Malakoane.
He added that the water barrels were easy to utilize even by people with disabilities, the elderly and young children.
Malakoane said Bloem Water intended to monitor water sufficiency in the Rietfontein area. “We want to see every toilet having an ablutionary basin for our people to wash their hands.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to save water and use it wisely,” he added. Malakoane said other villages are still to be identified for the Hippo Water Rollers donations and other rural development programmes that Bloem Water is planning in future for making water more accessible to the communities.
One of the residents who were happy to get the water roller, Mmathapelo Ntholeng said the container would assist her get enough water without going to a communal borehole tap more than once like before. “I live with eight grandchildren but sometimes I take up the tiring chore of fetching water by myself.
The Hippo Water Roller seems to be easier to use with less effort and energy and I can also use water that I collect with it for laundry and other house chores as well as drinking without the fear that it will be finished quickly unlike when I use the bucket,” said the 74-year-old Ntholeng.
The Deputy Director of Department of Water Affairs, Priscilla Mohapi pleaded with the community to use the container for fetching water only and not to brew traditional beer in it like some of the residents were already suggesting.
“The Imvubu Project should motivate everyone to generate great ideas that will enhance the development of South African communities,” said Mohapi.