Locals dig deep to fund bore project

A Geraldton man who tried to raise $5000 to help a struggling African family has been left overwhelmed after locals emptied their pockets to the tune of $16,000.

The money — raised in the space of three weeks — will be used to sink a bore in a remote Zimbabwean village, near the home of a single impoverished mother raising 10 children, four of whom are severely disabled.

The mother, named Dzosai Gonamombe, is a widow who has to walk several hours a day to access water.

Zimbabwean journalists report Ms Gonamombe has been rejected by other villagers, who suspect her disabled children are the result of witchcraft.

When Sun City Christian Centre member and former Zimbabwean national Wicky Moffat saw the report, he started a local campaign to fund a water source closer to the family home.

So far, Mr Moffat has paid a hydrogeologist to survey the area and found a borehole can be sunk 70m into the ground, roughly 50m from the Gonamombe home. Drilling and pump work is expected to be completed by mid-May.

Mr Moffat said after the struggling family can access water, he will use the rest of the money to keep them healthy and sustained in the future.

“The bore is going to pump water into a tank and some of it will water a vegetable garden,” he said.

“We’re also looking at cows, so they can have milk every day.”

Mr Moffat thanked residents for their help in kick-starting the project.

“It shows the community has a wonderful, very loving spirit. I think there’s no better place to be than to be around people like this.”