About 50,000 inhabitants in rural Montserrado County benefit from safe-drinking water, which is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
WaterAid Liberia provides safe drinking water to at least 49,361 inhabitants of rural Montserrado County.
A WaterAid Liberia delegation on Sunday dedicated a modern state-of-the-art water facility in Back Camp Community, Todee District, Montserrado, to benefit residents and nearby communities.
Acting Country Director Mohammed Massaley says the assistance will ensure that residents in rural Liberia have access to safe drinking water by connecting individual households.
According to him, the initiative is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is a component of WaterAid's rural WASH project tagged "Improve Equitable and Sustainable Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Rural Communities and Schools." It was implemented in Todee District, targeting 13,375 people across 14 communities and five schools over one year, from October 2023 to September 2024.
Todee District residents have lauded WaterAid for the initiative. Annie Forkpa, a resident, says the water facility will bring relief to residents of the district.
A facilitator, Madam Forkpa, describes the intervention as a transformative change for residents. "Before WaterAid brought the big water house for us, we suffered for water business, especially during the dry season. The well and pumps here usually run dry, which compelled us to fetch water from other unsafe sources." She recalls.
Powered by solar energy, the new water supply system has a capacity of 2000 gallons, with three separate water collection points, including the central collection point at the Water tower and positioned at strategic locations in the community, with multiple taps to serve many people including nearby residents.
Todee, with a population of 49,361, is the largest district in Montserrado County in geographical coverage. It grapples with limited access to WASH services, particularly affecting those residing in hard-to-reach communities like Back Camp.
The community is characterized by a dearth of basic social services, including poor road conditions, lack of school and healthcare facilities, and inadequate hygiene infrastructure, among others.
Women, children, and people living with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable, often having to traverse long distances through challenging terrain to access basic water, toilets, and hygiene facilities.
At least 5,987 people in 12 communities and two schools were reached with clean and safe water, while 981 students and school staff gained access to modern pour-flush toilet facilities with menstrual hygiene management (MHM) features.
Besides, 7,120 individuals were reached with key hygiene messages in 14 communities and 6 schools - termed as an "exceeded target" by Todee District Superintendent, Emmanuel David.
He credited these results to the funding opportunity from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the good implementation approach by WaterAid.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission (NWASHC) commended design of the facility and expressed interest in adopting it in upcoming National WASH Plan for Liberia due to its effectiveness.
Philip Mckay, NWASHC Director for Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation, lauded the design and emphasized, "With just a turn of the faucet, you will experience real-time pressure, clean and cold water, reducing wait time and increasing supply."
Assistant Public Works Minister for Community Services, Albert Toukolon reiterated government's intention to replicate the WaterAid's design, stating, "This sets the standard for water access that we aspire to achieve. We will work to improve upon this for the benefit of our citizens."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The WHO and UNICEF 2023 Joint Monitoring Programme Report on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) revealed that in Liberia, 76% of the 5 million population had access to basic water, with a collection time of not more than 30 minutes for a round-trip. This left over 1.1 million people without access to basic drinking water. Target 6.1 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specifically emphasizes the achievement of universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030.
To achieve the 2030 target, the Government of Liberia must prioritize and significantly improve water access for its citizens. Notably, diarrheal diseases, maternal disorders, neonatal disorders, and malnutrition, among top ten causes of death in Liberia, are all associated with poor access to and quality of water, according to the 2020 Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation report.
These cases are particularly prevalent in rural settings, disproportionately affecting women, children, people living with disabilities, and the elderly. Editing by Jonathan Browne
