Young shoulders, heavy burdens: Water struggles in Kunene

High in the rocky mountains of Petrusfontein in the Kunene region, collecting water is still a daily chore for many kids.

Children in the area routinely help their parents fetch water, walking between three and four kilometres in search of a reliable source.

When luck allows, they get a lift part of the way. More often, the journey is made on foot, balancing heavy containers under the harsh sun.

During the rainy season, the task becomes even harder. Footpaths are damaged, and dry riverbeds suddenly fill with fast-flowing water, cutting off access.

Some families are forced to delay collecting water altogether until floodwaters subside.

Among those affected are three children pictured here, who regularly help their single mother fetch water for the household.

Like many others in Petrusfontein, their routine reflects the daily struggle of a community that has long lived without nearby basic services.

Water ‘not a privilege’

That way of life, however, is slowly beginning to change.

A newly installed borehole, developed under the Environmental Investment Fund’s water softening project, has brought new hope.

The borehole produces Grade A water fit for human consumption, reducing the distance residents must travel and easing pressure on children who previously carried much of the burden.

The site has also been fenced off to prevent damage by elephants and other wildlife common in the area.

Speaking during an oversight visit on Monday, community resident Tangeni Iijambo said access to water must go hand in hand with other essential services.

He called for a kindergarten for young children, a clinic staffed by government nurses, and better infrastructure, noting that sanitation “is not a privilege.” Iijambo also suggested establishing a conservancy to generate income, adding that wildlife has begun returning since water became available.