A Wartburg College student has received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant to help build a reliable power source and install water tanks in the village of Chigodora in Zimbabwe this summer.
Bladley Zimunya, a sophomore majoring in economics and business administration, grew up in Chigodora and understands how hard it is for the community of 10,000 to survive with a single water well that depends on an unreliable national electric grid. His project includes the installation of a solar-powered water pumping system and three 5,000-liter reservoir tanks, as well as training for two local technicians.
“Long before the well even existed, the entire community depended on natural water springs to take care of their families, which disrupted daily life, education and timely access to health care,” Zimunya said. “This project ensures that shared water and shared power lead to shared harmony in Chigodora Village. I hope that the project will extend beyond Chigodora Village to inspire ambitious change makers in other communities to invest in peacebuilding initiatives in their own communities.”
Zimunya, who will have to manage the project from Waverly, is partnering with the St. Werburgh’s Primary School and Clinic, the Village Council and a social worker in Chigodora to oversee the day-to-day work.
“I define peaceas the ability of a community to live without such fear of scarcity and thrive through shared resources. Reliable energy for water pumping will reduce disputes at water stations, support subsistence farming and create a self-sustaining community,” Zimunya said.
Philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis founded Davis Projects for Peace in 2007 to celebrate her 100th birthday. Davis, who died in 2013, committed $1 million annually to fund 100 grass-roots efforts by college students. The Davis Projects for Peace organization awards $10,000 to 125 or more undergraduate students each year to implement a project that develops innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues. Wartburg students have received a grant every year since the program’s inception.
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