In the village of Matshemhlophe, located in Kwazulu-Natal district in South Africa, 4000 residents once faced a major water crisis. The community members relied on and consumed unsafe water. Women and girls had to walk long distances daily to fetch water, leading to waterborne diseases and insufficient water for daily needs like bathing, cooking, washing and growing their own crops. On November 14, 2023, thanks to a donation from Raging River Trading, Matshemhlophe Village celebrated the installation of a solar water pump. Every day, the system delivers 86,000 liters of clean water to 20 taps via 2270 kilometers of piping. This development has positively impacted education, economic progress, and the villagers' health. Matshemhlophe Village is now flourishing, demonstrating the transformative power of clean water
Sthembiso Mnyandu, 39-year-old father of 4 and featured below, expresses his gratitude to you:
"My siblings and I grew up facing hardship and relying on social grants to survive. We lost our parents when I was only 19, and our youngest sibling was just 2 years old. From a young age, we had to fetch water from open sources. Life was incredibly challenging, and to help sustain us, I started a small vegetable garden. However, it didn’t thrive as I had hoped—vegetables would spoil quickly, and food was often scarce. Despite these difficulties, we managed to get by with the little we had. Now, thanks to the water project in our community, my backyard garden is flourishing. I am even planning to expand it so I can sell produce within the community and earn some extra income. This project has brought immense joy not just to me and my family, but to the entire community. As a member of the water committee I am continuing to see the benefits of this wonderful project and all I want to say is thank you for this gift! ”