By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Action Against Hunger (AAH) has donated water tanks to nine community health centers in the Western Area. The organization said the donation is part of their COVID-19 Emergency Response Program.
On Thursday each of the nine health centers commissioned their 5000 liter water tanks. Some of the health centers are located in areas like Lakka, Wilberforce, Hastings and Campbell Town, where water crisis is a perennial problem.
In Campbell Town, which is situated on the outskirts of the Western Rural capital of Waterloo, health practitioners said before they received the support they had to order their patients to bring water whiles coming for treatment or they had to fetch it themselves.
Esther Saspo, the Maternal Child Health Assistant in the clinic, said: “We have been going through a lot of constrain here to get water. We had to tell our patients who are pregnant women or lactating mothers to fetch water whiles coming to the clinic. Sometimes we fetch the water ourselves.”
Residents in the Campbell Town area said the closest water source to the clinic was at least 100 meters away.
Saspo said the availability of water will make a huge difference to their work. She said the clinic covers at least 14 communities in the outskirts of Waterloo.
Ing. David Kargbo, the WASH Engineer for AHH, said each of the nine installation costs just over Le 24 million.
“In April this year we did an assessment and found out that this health center was in dire need of water. So after engagement with the chief and other community stakeholders in May, we started the installment of this Emergency Water Kiosk,” Kargbo explained during the presentation at Campbell Town.
He said following the installation of the tanks, they will be making rounds across all the areas and fill the tanks with water whenever it is needed.
Mohamed Turay, a community stakeholder who was representing the chief at the handing over ceremony, urged AHH to do more for them, whiles expressing gratitude for the development.
“We only get opportunities like these once in a while because we are located at the extreme end of Waterloo. We appreciate this gesture and we want you to continue to do more for us,” Turay said.
Under the current COVID-19 Emergency Response project, AAH has already donated Infection Prevention Control materials to some of these nine communities and has supported quarantine residents across the Western Area with food and other necessities.
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