Feature: China-built wells provide safe drinking water to Mozambicans

When Cao Youwei, a Chinese engineer, arrived at one of the wells drilled by him in Bilene District of Mozambique's southern Gaza Province, he was warmly welcomed by local residents.

They spontaneously started to sing songs to express their gratitude toward him and other Chinese engineers. An old woman even gave Cao two big hugs after the songs.

Cao and his colleagues, from a company named China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation, used to work here for half a year in 2014, helping drill wells for the locals under a China aid project signed between the two governments in 2011.

They have altogether drilled 100 wells, and are currently providing maintenance service under the contract till the end of this year.

"We on average drilled 15 wells every month," Cao remembered.

Until now, when the company's trucks are driving through the villages, locals always show their welcome by waving hands towards them, and sometimes give the Chinese engineers fresh fruits as gift.

In a few villages, local residents take the initiative in building wooden fences around the wells, as a way to protect the precious gift that provides them with the source of life, clean drinking water.

"In the past, we have to walk a long distance of over 10 kilometers to fetch water, but now, with the newly-drilled wells, we don't need to go that far, " local villagers said.

According to Cao, the 100 wells have an average depth of about 70 meters, with the deepest nearly 100 meters and the shallowest 40 meters.

"With these depths, the wells can penetrate the clay pan to extract the ground water for use, thus the quality and quantity of the water from the wells can be guaranteed," he added.

Data from the Bilene authority show that, a total number of 5.4 million people could benefit from this water-drilling project, with one well servicing an average of 541 people.

Arlindo Correia, the head of Water Supply Office of the National Water Directorate, told Xinhua that the drilling positions were all chosen in accordance with local needs.

"The water's quality is very good, as well as the amount," Correia said.

"Local people's life is changing thanks to the water project, it is very important to us," he added.

According to figures released by the WaterAid organization, about 1.3 million people in Mozambique, half the country's population, don't have access to safe water.

More than 7,000 children die every year in Mozambique from diarrhoea, caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

This situation has a big impact on health, education and livelihoods, leading to an average life expectancy of just 49 years across the southern African country.

Carlos Matusse, the director of the Public Works Office in Bilene District, Gaza Province, told Xinhua that the water-drilling project aided by the Chinese government means a lot to the area as it solved the problem of safe water inaccessibility among local residents.

"The project helps to improve the hygiene status of our people, and also improves productivity by saving time with such a convenient water service," Matusse said. Enditem