By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, July 3, Mana: After years of facing the daunting challenge of crossing Chithumba River, a place that is wet throughout the year, a bridge has been constructed to ease mobility for surrounding communities.
The river stood as a barrier between the communities and essential services that are available in nearby Ludzi.
A resident of Chithumba, Steven Charles said the difficulties they faced on the stream forced them to travel long distance to Ludzi in search of services.
"Before the bridge, crossing the river was a struggle. We had to wade through the water, which was dangerous, especially during the rainy season but now with the bridge, we can easily reach church, schools, the hospital, the market, and the maize mill in Ludzi,” he said.
Councilor for Mkoma Ward where the bridge is, Martha Dzanja, said people suffered a lot because the place used to have a lot of water and cut communication for people from over five villages.
“The bridge is very important as it has connected the villages to some amenities. Ludzi is strategic as it provides essential services to the people, but also those from Ludzi have farming fields across the bridge,” she said.
The crucial infrastructure was made possible through the efforts of the Mchinji District Council and the support of the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) initiative, a World Bank-funded programme.
Director of Public Works, Ellis Tembo said the Council has worked hard to ensure most of the projects have been done.
“The Council has completed most of the GESD projects and handed them over to the public. The Chithumba Bridge is one of the key achievements and people are benefiting,” he said.
GESD, through its Performance-Based Grants (PBG), provides Councils with the necessary funds to embark on such transformative projects.
These grants are awarded after Councils meet certain Minimum Access Conditions (MACS), ensuring that the resources are used effectively and transparently.
The Bridge was constructed to a tune of K30 million.
