Thinandavha Goodman Ravhutsi (41) has become the pride of his village after digging a well for his community.
Ravhutsi lives in Makonde Siawoadza village, about 30 km northeast of Thohoyandou. The area has long been plagued by water shortages, and according to Ravhutsi, residents often have to travel all the way to Tshikuvhoni Fountain, near Makonde Primary School, to fetch water.
"There is nothing more painful than not having water because it is the source of life upon which we all depend. It was heartbreaking to see grannies carrying buckets of water from Tshikuvhoni, and it occurred to me that I had to do something to help my people. Although it had not been raining for some time earlier this year, I thought the local Tshabutha wetlands, which were dry at that time, could still be useful in helping my people get water," he said.
He began digging at three different sites in the wetlands but found no sign of water. On his fourth attempt, he saw water beginning to appear, and he was overjoyed that his dream had finally come true. "I continued digging until water started flowing. After that, I collected stones with the idea of building a wall around the well, so that people could draw water more easily. The problem was that I didn't have any cement to make mortar, although sand was abundant in the area."
He expressed his gratitude to local residents Florah Luula, Eric Munyai, and Mashaphu Malume, who donated cement to help him construct the wall around the well. "I collected the stones and sand on my own and also built the foundation of the well alone. I didn't care what people might say because my mission was to help my people get water. With the recent rainfall, the wetlands have revived, and I'm happy to say there's now an abundance of water in the well."
Ravhutsi urged the residents of Makonde Siawoadza to take care of the well. "Since I can't always be there to look after it, I urge everyone to take responsibility for it because it's now the only source of water in our area. I've also spread the word that we should boil the water before use, as it's not purified. This is better than having no water at all."
Local resident Shonisani Ramazhamba is full of praise for Ravhutsi. She said Ravhutsi had brought joy to the local residents, and everyone was proud of him. "Gone are the days when we had to travel to Tshikuvhoni to get water. We don't have enough words to thank Ravhutsi for what he did for us," she said.