In the informal settlements of Epworth Local Board Wards 1 and 5 in Harare Metropolitan, rainwater has long been both a necessity and a threat. Between January and March 2026, persistent rains turned these wetland communities into flood zones, submerging sanitation systems, displacing families and contaminating wells. With the Meteorological Services Department forecasting continued above-normal rainfall, the risk of a cholera outbreak became critical.
The floods caused widespread damage, destroying homes, forcing residents from their communities and exposing major weaknesses in local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) systems. Rather than waiting for an outbreak to occur, we launched a four-month emergency project on 1 March 2026, titled Strengthening WASH Systems and Cholera Preparedness Among Flood-Affected Households in Epworth, funded by DERF through UFF-Humana.
Targeting 17,580 households, the project aims to improve access to safe water through installation of a solar-powered borehole, chlorination systems and water quality testing. At least 500 households are benefitting from safer water, while trained community health workers and volunteers strengthen cholera preparedness.