Alice the Plumber: Bringing water, health and hope to Mutare rural

By UNICEF

MUTARE: By the time the midday sun sits high over Marange, Alice Makono has already inspected two taps, repaired a burst pipe, and answered three calls from neighbouring villages. At 52, Alice is not just a plumber — she is the community’s lifeline to clean water.

“When there is a pipe burst here, I am the first person they call,” she says, tightening a valve near a newly installed tap. “Even villages 20 kilometres away, like Mafarairikwa, call me when they leak. I trench, I repair — I was trained to do all this by Mercy Corps.”

For Alice, plumbing is more than a job. It is a service. “We cannot afford to hire a plumber from town. I stepped up because our community needed it. I have even trained two of my children to do the work.”

Her husband supports her fully — a point she makes with quiet pride. “People see plumbing as a man’s job, but here, I am the gatekeeper. If there’s a water problem, I am the one they come to.”

From rivers to doorsteps

Before the piped water scheme, the people of Marange fetched water from the river, often carrying heavy buckets over long distances. The risks were high — cholera, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases were common.

Now, thanks to support from UNICEF, the World Bank, UNOPS and Mercy Corps, clean water flows to taps just outside people’s homes.

“The elderly no longer have to walk far,” says resident Takura Mutombe. “It has made life easier, especially for those who were struggling.”

A Chairman’s pride

For Village Water Committee Chairperson, Mr. Edmore Chikomo, the project is nothing short of transformational.

“This scheme has restored dignity to our people,” he says. “Children are no longer missing school to fetch water, our clinic now has reliable water for patients, and our women have more time for their gardens and businesses. It is a change we never thought we would see in our lifetime.”

He adds, “We are now organised. We know how to maintain our water system. We have trained people like Alice who make sure it is always working. This is our water, and we will protect it.”

Leadership at all levels

UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr. Etona Ekole, commended the community’s ownership and the role of women in sustaining progress:

“Alice’s leadership is a powerful example of how communities can sustain vital projects when they take full ownership. She also embodies the empowering role of women leaders in driving positive change.

Safe water is a life-saving commodity, and I am deeply grateful to the Government of Zimbabwe, our donors, implementing partners, and local leaders for ensuring that these piped water schemes are established, maintained, and safeguarded for generations to come.”

A community transformed

The Marewo Water Park Scheme in Ward 17, Mutare West, stretches 12.85 kilometres and benefits over 120 households — around 480 people. It serves two business centres, a clinic, a dip tank, churches, and Marewo Primary School, which has more than 650 pupils. Three taps are located within the school grounds, making water access immediate and safe.

With clean water at their doorsteps, the people of Marange and Marewo now face the future with renewed hope — and with Alice, the plumber who answers every call, leading the way.