THE African Manzi Centre (AFMAC) and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have embarked on a project aimed at promoting the provision of safe and clean drinking water in schools.

Eleven schools in Ndola have been selected to participate in the project whose implementation costs more than K400 million.

AFMAC administrative manager Chris Chella said once the project, being done in collaboration with the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) is approved, the funds are expected to be used for the sinking of boreholes.

He said the implementation programme started yesterday when 11 project proposals were submitted to CIDA representatives at Kanshenshi Resource Centre in Ndola.

Mr Chella said the schools project proposals were also aimed at ensuring the erratic supply of water in schools ended and ensuring that pupils and the community had clean and safe drinking water.

Copperbelt Province education officer Johnwell Siwingwa said the sustainable provision of clean and safe drinking water enhanced the provision of education services because it lessened the levels of absenteeism among pupils.

In a speech read for him by principal education standards officer Tabeth Chisanga, Mr Siwingwa said the projects being carried out by the schools would enhance the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) number seven which calls for the environmental sustainability by 2015 through the provision of water and sanitation services.

"I am therefore, delighted to particularly witness the interest and involvement of the young people in addressing this issue. This kind of arrangement guarantees sustainability of our solution for this problems," he said.