In Summary:

•    Through the CAWEP partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Development Programme, and the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Binga’s long-neglected 65-km ZINWA water pipeline has been rehabilitated, restoring reliable water access to communities.
•    Clean running water has transformed conditions at Siansundu Rural Health Centre, enabling safer childbirth, improved hygiene, and stronger infection control.
•    Thousands of households, clinics, and public institutions now receive reliable piped water for the first time in decades.
•    Ten schools connected to the upgraded system now benefit from clean water and solar energy, improving sanitation and learning conditions.
•    Together, reliable water and renewable energy are restoring dignity, strengthening health services, and building climate resilience across Binga communities.

Full Story:
The rehabilitation of Binga’s water and energy systems is more than just upgrading infrastructure; it is a lifeline, ensuring that health, education, and livelihoods can flourish even amid climate change.
For years, mothers giving birth at Siansundu Rural Health Centre in Binga faced conditions no woman should endure. Without running water, nurses had to improvise by fetching water from distant boreholes, asking women in labour to bring their own containers, and struggling to maintain hygiene during critical moments of childbirth.
In the labour ward, Nurse-in-Charge Gideon Muzamba recalls how every delivery always felt like an emergency.
“It was very difficult to maintain hygiene, especially in critical areas. We had no choice but to fetch water from the community, even during emergencies,” he said.
Blood, waste, soiled linen, and exhausted mothers had to be managed with only a few buckets of water. Infection risks were high. Delays were inevitable. Safety, dignity, and basic sanitation standards were at risk.
Today, the situation has changed dramatically. Through the Climate Adaptation, Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP)—implemented by the Government of Zimbabwe and UNDP, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office—the long-neglected 65-kilometer ZINWA piped water system in Binga has been fully rehabilitated.
For the first time in decades, thousands of families are receiving clean, reliable water directly to their homes, clinics, and schools. At Siansundu Clinic, the taps flow again.
“In the labour ward, water is essential for cleaning, sanitation, and infection control. Now we can safely conduct deliveries and maintain hygiene for both staff and patients. It has changed everything,” Muzamba said.
Running water is now available throughout the entire facility, from nurses’ residences to examination rooms. The improvements have strengthened infection prevention and control, reduced delays in care, and enhanced the safe administration of medication for vulnerable patients.
This intervention is not just transforming healthcare. Ten schools connected to the upgraded pipeline now have access to clean water and solar energy, significantly improving the learning environment.
At Bunsiwa Primary School in Siachilaba, School Development Committee Chairperson Leonard Mudenda describes the change as life-changing.
“For the first time, learners and teachers have access to clean drinking water at school. Sanitation has improved and the learning environment is now healthier,” he said.
In Binga, one of Zimbabwe’s most climate-vulnerable districts, clean water and renewable energy have become powerful tools for restoring dignity and resilience.
Where mothers once gave birth under extreme stress, they now deliver safely.
Where children once endured long walks to fetch water, they now learn in clean classrooms.
Where communities once relied on distant, unsafe sources, they now thrive with reliable water and power.