By ALICE NACHILEMBE
‘Train up a child in a way that he should go in his tender age and when he is old he will not depart from it,’ Proverbs 22: 6 says.
This is the route that the water utilities like Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company has taken in going to schools and dealing with pupils.
The initiative of the water regulator, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) has taken to increase awareness to the school going children on the importance of water supply and sanitation through the water and sanitation inter school quiz across all provinces.
With dwindling water and sanitation knowledge, Mulonga Water has seized the NWASCO initiative with two hands. Though NWASCO spearheads the quiz, the water utilities fund the project.
The targeted schools for Mulonga Water were those in Chingola, Chililabombwe and Mufulira where the utility firm operates.
During the quiz Mulonga Water public relations unit was taking time to explain making steps made to improve service delivery.
This is not the first time Mulonga Water has gone to schools. Last year Mulonga sponsored another school quiz in the three districts of operation on World Toilet Day focusing on pupils because Mulonga Water has realized the school pupils make good ambassadors to help deliver the information to others.
The World Toilet Day quiz winners Kabundi Secondary of Chingola went away with the school ablution renovations worth K10, 000 from Mulonga Water, hence supporting the noble initiative by NWASCO in creating awareness in schools on the issue of water and sanitation.
Having realized the importance of involving school pupils on the dissemination of information on water supply and sanitation Mulonga Water as a firm has also embarked a school awareness campaign project and in training the young generation the company would never go wrong as they will retain and share the knowledge.
Officiating at the provincial quiz level, Mulonga Water Chililabombwe Division Manager Jeff Mulenga said water supply and sanitation knowledge in schools has a number of positive effects.
Mr Mulenga said the quiz is could not come at a better time than now as MWSC is also introduced a school awareness campaign project which has been running from 2018.
He said poor hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play major roles in the burden of communicable diseases.
“The focus for water utility companies is to bring awareness to the pupils on water and sanitation. Pupils should take keen interest on issues of water and sanitation programs,” he said.
He urged the winners to remember that Mulonga Water was crowned the best performing water utility in the country and therefore they are expected to bring to bring the winning trophy to MWSC.
The Battle of the brains pitted four schools with two coming from Chingola, one from Mufulira and another from Chililabombwe at to complete the provincial level.
In this battle, the schools for Mulonga Water were drawn from three towns Mufulira, Chingola and Chililabombwe which are serviced by Mulonga Water.
Chingola Secondary School won the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) inter schools quiz to represent Mulonga water at National level.
Ipusukilo of Mufurila came second, followed by Chililabombwe and Maiteneke secondary schools respectively.
