Until last year, Elizabeth Masamba, 38, from Jussa Village near Zalewa Trading Centre in Neno District, was financially independent. The single mother used to sell meaty snacks at the busy business spot along the M1. From the roadside kanyenya sales, she could afford food, housing, clothing, children’s school fees and other basics.
In her mind, Masamba saw her business growing and guaranteeing her children a bright future. However, her ambition collapsed when she spent two months in hospital due to typhoid, fuelled by drinking unsafe water from the Shire River. “I spent days on malaria treatment,” Masamba says.
“When I was finally diagnosed with typhoid, it was advanced and I recovered after two months in hospital.” She lives in a community of about 12 000 people, who have been drinking soiled water from the Shire since time immemorial. “When I was discharged, my business had collapsed. I struggle to feed and clothe my family.
[paywall]
I cannot afford my children’s school fees. This threatens their future,” she states, holding back tears. Masamba’s plight exposes the hidden cost of sanitation-related diseases in the riverside community.
“I can no longer use my hand after surviving a fierce crocodile attack when I went to draw water from the Shire. I now survive on alms from relatives and well-wishers. It is not sustainable for my family,” says Liness Listoni.
A crocodile mauled her left hand, leaving her unable to provide for her family. The long walks to the crocodile-infested river were also a cause of marriage breakups as men accused women of promiscuity. “Some husbands thought we were wasting time sleeping around,” adds Chipiliro Waidoni, from Zalewa. Village head Jusa says he was inundated with marital disputes fuelled by water problems.
[/paywall]
