The event started off with a tour of Darwendale/Manyame Dam where the school children were given a background history on the dam and water testing was undertaken to determine the water quality. The event was officially opened by the Guest of Honour, Cde, Endy Mhlanga, Manyame Catchment Council Chairman, who in his keynote address noted World Water Day was set aside in order to reflect on the importance of water and device ways and mechanisms of protecting the resource for the betterment of the livelihoods of all people. He further urged people to conserve available water for the benefit of everyone and this includes conserving the environment.
The energy among the children present was displayed during the session they were given to showcase their different talents on water. Some of the extracts from the poems given include; “lets conserve water, it begins with you”, “no water, no life” and “water is life, life is water, without water we perish”.
Speaking during the commemorations, Ms Mangazi from Environment Africa noted that just like the human body cannot live without water so does our environment. So whatever we do to nature, nature does to us so there is a need to conserve available water. Buttressing on what had been presented, Mr Michele, representing the European Union, noted that water is scarcity that needs to be preserved in a smart way as statistics have noted that every 15 seconds a child dies from a preventable water borne disease.
The event ended with the Junior Member of Parliament, Harare Governor thanking all present for taking time to gather together to commemorate Water Day and she further encouraged children present to practise and learn what was shared to them.
Located 76 kilometres west of the capital city of Harare, Lake Manyame (formerly Darwendale) Recreational Park occupies a total area of 11,200 hectares. Of this area, Lake Manyame water body swallows 8,100 hectares, just under three quarters of the parks total area. The commemorations come after World Water Day held on the 22nd of March 2015, under the theme “Water and Sustainable Development”.