Ancient indigenous survival methods are keeping residents of Otjivize in the Epupa Constituency alive, as families dig handmade wells and scoop holes in sandy riverbeds for water.

The nearest government borehole is more than seven kilometres away, a distance many residents say is too far to walk for water, leaving them dependent on traditional sources that are often exposed to contamination.

Otjikaoko Chief at Otjivize stated that generations of indigenous knowledge have enabled his people to find water beneath sandy riverbeds.

The Chief is calling on the government to rehabilitate a borehole at Ovikange, emphasising that the area has grazing for livestock and is vital to the community's livelihood.

Residents and livestock have relied on these wells for years, raising health concerns.

Another disturbing reality is that people sometimes bathe in the same scoop holes that the community relies on for drinking water.

The community is now pleading with authorities for clean water, closer to their homes and grazing areas, before survival itself comes at the cost of their health.