Your bottle can save lives
Two- and and five-litre bottles can be dropped off at Citybug Nelspruit and Agrimark in Riverside Industrial Park. Citybug is helping to transport the bottles to their destinations.
MBOMBELA – While South Africa’s water woes are reaching critical levels, a campaign has been initiated to assist desperate residents across the country who are in dire need of this resource.
Water Shortage in South Africa was started by good Samaritans who have vowed to help destitute people in areas that are affected countrywide.
The campaign collects and distributes water bottles to these areas. It also calls on volunteers to drop off their water donations at designated areas. Locals have also responded positively to the cause in order to help the most affected areas.
One of the people who initiated the campaign, Ms Caroline van Saasen, says South Africans have responded phenomenally to the call and have helped to spread the message across the country.
“There has been a great and incredible support from people, everyone is coming on board to help wherever they can,” she said.
Van Saasen said she saw the drought problem becoming worse and she had a burning desire to help the affected areas.
In order to achieve this, the campaign have created stations where supporters can drop off their water donations.
Two- and and five-litre bottles can be dropped off at Citybug Nelspruit and Agrimark in Riverside Industrial Park. Citybug is helping to transport the bottles to their destinations.
In fact, Citybug is taking 1 000 litres of water to Bloemfontein per day and from there it is being distributed to Free State towns such as Senekal and Aliwal North. Yesterday morning 300 litres was taken to Senekal.
Alternatively some can be dropped off at Wimpy Barberton or Debonairs Barberton for collection.
The bottles must be marked DW (drinking water) and TW (tank water). The DW-categorised bottles are for drinking and cooking while TW can be used for animals and other general uses.
It is also important that volunteers mark them correctly to help the campaigners to arrange the bottles correctly.
Other drop-off areas are situated in different areas across the country. They are widespread in order to reach a number of places across the country.
Farmers have also been hit hard by the drought, with reports stating that some have committed suicide. Other areas in the country have been hit even harder. One of those is the Free State where the bulk of the water will be sent.
There hasn’t been enough rain to fill up the dams and the continuous heatwave has affected locals adversely.
In addition, there is a group on Facebook “Water Shortage in South Africa” which lists the drop-off points across South Africa and more info is available there as well.
