Timothy Pemba
In Zimbabwe, communities are rising to the challenge of building better lives by embracing innovative, sustainable ways of living.
As the country grapples with pressing issues such as water scarcity, unreliable energy supply and the effects of climate change, communities are proving that cooperation and collective action can drive meaningful change.
Historically, Zimbabwean communities have thrived on an intense sense of unity and shared responsibility, values deeply rooted in the nation’s cultural heritage. Today, these values are being revitalised as people work together to address shared challenges, particularly in managing essential resources like water and energy.
Access to clean, reliable water stays one of the most critical challenges for many Zimbabwean communities. In the past, the common solution to water scarcity was for individual households or small clusters of homes to drill their own boreholes.
While effective in the short term, this practice is both costly and unsustainable, often leading to over-extraction of groundwater and further depleting already stressed aquifers. Recognising this, some communities have begun pooling their resources to drill a single borehole per street or neighbourhood.
From this centralised water source, pipes are connected to individual households, ensuring an equitable and efficient distribution of water.
This approach significantly reduces costs while conserving groundwater, and it fosters a collective sense of ownership and shared responsibility among residents. Building on the success of shared water systems, communities in Zimbabwe could apply the same cooperative model to address energy challenges. As the nation’s demand for electricity continues to grow, access remains uneven, especially in rural areas where households often rely on expensive and unreliable solutions.
By pooling resources, communities can invest in shared solar power systems, establishing centralised “super substations” that generate and distribute electricity to individual households.
These systems, whether rooftop solar arrays or ground-mounted installations in communal spaces, offer numerous benefits. Centralised solar systems are cost-effective, as larger installations generate more power at a lower cost per household. Maintenance and management become easier with shared responsibility, ensuring efficiency and longevity.
Such systems are scalable, allowing for expansion as the community grows, and they provide resilience by creating a more reliable and consistent energy supply for all.
The success of these initiatives reflects the potential for Zimbabwean communities to lead the way in adopting sustainable living models rooted in cooperation. Beyond water and energy, other areas such as agriculture, waste management, and housing could benefit from similar collective approaches.
For example, in agriculture, communities could establish cooperative farms that share resources like tractors, irrigation systems, and storage facilities, increasing productivity while reducing costs. In waste management, centralised recycling and composting centres could transform waste into valuable resources such as organic fertilisers or bioenergy.
Similarly, community-led housing projects could focus on affordable, eco-friendly designs, addressing housing shortages while reducing environmental impact.
To support these efforts, technology and supportive policies are essential. Advances in renewable energy systems, water management technologies, and digital platforms for resource sharing make these initiatives increasingly feasible. At the same time, the Zimbabwean government, non-governmental organisations, and private sector partners must play a pivotal role in enabling communities to succeed.
Policies that provide subsidies for communal solar installations, grants for shared water systems, or tax incentives for cooperatives engaged in sustainable projects could encourage widespread adoption.
Technical expertise, funding, and training from development partners and private stakeholders can also ensure that these projects are implemented effectively and managed sustainably.
Despite the potential of these shared systems, challenges remain. Coordinating large groups of people requires effective leadership and trust, and ensuring equitable benefits for all community members can be complex.
However, these challenges are not insurmountable. Strong governance structures, transparent communication, and community training in resource management and conflict resolution can help address these issues. Ultimately, the shared solutions emerging in Zimbabwe highlight the power of collective action to overcome modern challenges.
Zimbabwe’s communities are demonstrating that in unity, there is strength. The shift from individualistic approaches to shared systems not only conserves resources but also strengthens the social fabric that binds communities together. By working collectively to address water and energy challenges, they are laying the foundation for a more sustainable and prosperous future.
This spirit of cooperation is not just about survival, it is about thriving together. Through shared water systems, centralised solar power stations, and other innovative solutions, Zimbabweans are creating a model of sustainable living that the rest of the continent can follow. In this era of collective action, the nation is lighting the way towards a greener, more sustainable future for all.
Timothy Pemba is a student of the Decolonisation of Africa with a deep interest in the continent’s socio-economic transformation and its role in the global landscape. He writes in his capacity; that opinions expressed do not reflect the views of any organisations he may be associated with. He can be contacted via email at [email protected]
