The Disappearing Water at Shearly Cripps Children’s Home

The mornings start early and loudly in Zimbabwe, awakening with the sound of profuse bird calls. The Heuglin’s Robin is one of the iconic birds of the country. Although it struts around, black head and white brow, proudly sporting a bright breast as red as the African soil, she is not related at all to the gentle English robin. This robin is a show off with a range of melodic songs to entrance and astound any listener. She can also easily become habituated to selected people, happily hopping in to pick at any offered crumbs or cheese, her favorite morsel. A friend and companion to brighten anyones morning.

This morning we were up early to battle the snarl of Harare central traffic, collecting Artwell Sipinyu and Rev Manjengwa of Ardez from the Cathedral office to drive out to Chikwaka and the Shearly Cripps Children’s Home. There we were joined by Sister Moreblessing, the Administrator, her assistant, Sister Eve, and Mazzy Shine, the granddaughter of the Rev Arthur Shearly Cripps, after whom the Orphanage was named.

For many years, even decades, the orphanage has been struggling with poor water supply. It is located on a granite outcrop which it shares with St John’s primary and secondary schools. Past attempts to drill at the Home have only managed a shallow borehole which, when we tested it a few years back, struggled to deliver any substantive quantity. We agreed to install a small pump together with a solar array, but quickly it proved incapable of even supporting this. It continued to receive a small flow from the schools supply, but this was irregularly provided and never sufficient.

The Home currently has 25 children, 15 girls and 10 boys, ranging from 1 year old upwards. Water is stored in ground level tanks, so everything has to be distributed in buckets. Even the vegetable garden and piggery has to have its water physically transported, a task to be done before school by the children.

TZABA agreed to drill a new borehole near the site of the existing boreholes, and this was completed in April. Testing confirmed a significant output after complex and messy drilling overseen by the Ardez team. It was equipped with a solar array and pump and connections were made to the existing pipeline to the main tank at the school. Two tap stands were provided for the community and local needs.

The agreement with the school was that the Home should receive the output from the borehole, although some could be used to support the Primary School and staff needs as required. We installed a meter at the borehole and a meter at the Home offtake from the reservoir.

Together with Mr Msara, the Pump Operator, we bounced along the narrow track the kilometre or so to the borehole site, stopping to check the community taps. The installation was well done, and the operator and community all seemed very happy with the new source. The meter read 4,914 m3 since commissioning, very satisfactory.

Back at the main tank on the hill at the school we checked the meter to the Home. 974 m3. We have a major issue here. We have nearly 4,000 cubic meters missing! The Home is effectively only receiving a fifth of the output of the new borehole. 

It appears that the use of a booster pump by the school is “sucking” the water past the offtake to the Home, thereby depriving it of the water it needs. In addition, the pipeline serving the Home has further connections to staff houses and more. The pipe itself is also leaky, being a combination of old galvanised and poly pipe material.

In discussion with Mr Msara and Mr David, the Foreman and Building Maintenance Manager, we agreed that the simplest solution would be to lay a new dedicated Class 10 pipeline to the Home, fitted with its own booster pump and meter. This should allow all the necessary water to be pumped at sufficient pressure to fill all the three tanks already erected at the Home, without interrupting existing supplies. 

Walking around the Home itself was heartbreaking: toilets and shower cubicles had been installed, but never plumbed in due to lack of water at pressure. The kitchen facility has taps which have never worked, now in a derelict state of repair. The vegetable garden is not fully used and the piggery and animal care are languishing badly. Clearly, once the water is in the tanks there is certain to be a need for major plumbing repairs, but the next stage will be to get the water flowing to the Home.

We convened in the office and agreed on a way forward with much optimism. Rev Manjengwa also agreed to get the support from the Board for this work, as well as an agreement from the Board to allow Mazzy to sit in at Board meetings ex-officio, and other matters. 

There is so much goodwill towards the hard work and dedication of the staff and Sisters at the Home. We are all keen to support it and see it thrive. It provides a safe haven for many vulnerable children; not just orphans, but also victims of domestic abuse and violence. Their stories are desperately sad, but the Sisters and staff have made a wonderful place of love and care amid the darkness, where the jacaranda can bloom and the little Heuglin robin can sing her song of hope. 

May all those living and working at the Home find encouragement and strength in the deep love that holds them. And we pray that the provision of water might go a little way to helping this. There are no shortcuts to places worth going.

Thank you for reading.

Sandy

I would invite you support this work through our Justgiving site at https://www.justgiving.com/charity/tzaba

The Primary School water tanks and tap stands