World Vision Completes Impactful 17-Year Programme at Ekukhanyeni with 96% Water Access

After 17 years of transforming lives, World Vision Eswatini’s Ekukhanyeni Area Programme has completed its cycle, leaving behind an empowered and resilient community. This milestone was celebrated yesterday during a dissemination meeting attended by several stakeholders including community leaders, NGOs, clinics, water committees, and government representatives.

 

When the programme began, only 46.7% of households in Ekukhanyeni had access to sufficient drinking water from an improved source. Today, that figure stands at 96%. Schools have also seen remarkable progress, with 90.9% now enjoying year-round access to safe drinking water. These achievements were highlighted in the Evaluation Report presented by Lungile Malaza, World Vision’s Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.

 

For Thulani Thwala, a water committee member from Nyakeni, the 17-year journey has been life-changing. “World Vision brought us water purification systems, ensuring that we have safe water supply,” he said. He further stated that through the introduction of livelihood initiatives, families can now afford monthly water bills, ensuring the long-term sustainability of water projects.

 

The Evaluation Report revealed a significant increase in household participation in savings groups from 19.3% at baseline to 88.8%. These savings groups, part of World Vision’s livelihoods initiatives, have become a lifeline for families in a community grappling with high unemployment rates.

 

 

World Vision’s 17-year journey in Ekukhanyeni is a testament to what can be achieved when communities, partners, and organisations work together. World Vision continues to serve other communities in Eswatini achieve similar and even better results as it implements its transformative development initiatives.