Auleria Wakudumo

For decades, residents of Eshii village in Ohangwena’s Epembe constituency trekked up to 10 kilometres in search of clean water, often sharing contaminated sources with animals. 

That struggle came to an end on Sunday, when the community celebrated the drilling of a new borehole that now delivers reliable, safe water directly to them—a development hailed as life-changing and dignity-restoring by villagers and local leaders alike.

Villagers praised the government for responding to their long-standing pleas for water, which had been a constant source of hardship. For many years, women and children bore the burden of walking long distances to collect water, sometimes from unsafe sources. One of the residents, Mateus Nghiweni, recalled the painful reality before the borehole was drilled. He explained that for years, families fetched water from Omutwe Wodibo, a village located 10 kilometres away. 

“We used to carry 20 to 25 litres of water from there, and when there was none at home, children suffered the most,” he said. He recounted how an African organisation once helped the village install a simple well, but the water was shared with animals.  “We drank the same water with our goats and cows and people began getting sick, but we had no other choice,” he explained. 

Although NamWater had also tried to assist, the supply was not enough to sustain the whole community. The new borehole, drilled into the Ohangwena Aquifer 2, now supplies not only Eshii but also four neighbouring villages, ensuring water for domestic use, animals, and small-scale irrigation. The governor of Ohangwena region, Kadiva Hamutumwa, reminded the community that clean water provision remains a key priority of government policy under the Swapo party manifesto and NDP6.

“Water is a fundamental human need, and our government remains committed to ensuring that every household enjoys access to quality, reliable water,” she said.

Hamutumwa also pledged to construct a kindergarten for the village. The need was raised during her visit when community members explained that 28 young children were currently learning in a makeshift shelter built from sticks.

“Early childhood education is the foundation of our children’s future,” she emphasized, promising that government would step in to provide a proper facility. The visit further shed light on youth development opportunities, as Hamutumwa introduced the recently established National Youth Development Fund. Many young people in the village had not yet heard of this initiative, which aims to empower rural youth with funding for projects to tackle unemployment and improve livelihoods. Former Ohangwena governor Sebastian Ndeitunga said the borehole meant more than just water to the community, describing it as dignity and life.

He was warmly welcomed by villagers for the central role he played in bringing the project to fruition. To him, the day was a moment of reflection. He recalled how media reports during his tenure as governor had exposed him to the harsh reality of water inequality in the region. “It pained me to see our people drinking dirty water while others enjoyed clean water. These are the same people who voted for government, how could we let them down?” he asked.

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