By: Lamin Idriss Conteh (Cazorla)
Residents of Aberdeen and Kingtom have called on the authorities involved in the ongoing water project in their two communities to expedite the construction process.
The project is serving as a pilot under the ‘’Sierra Leone Threshold’’ programme which was signed in 2015 between the Government of Sierra Leone and the United States of America to provide clean and sustainable water and electricity supply and to strengthen project regulation.
Fatmata Bangura, a resident of Aberdeen expressed optimism about the success of the project but was concerned about the time taken to complete it, especially when the dry season has already begun.
“I believe we will take good care of the pump because we all know what it means to have clean drinking water ready. It’s not bad that we are going to pay for it as long as it is affordable to everybody. The fact that we have it is fine,” she said.
She however wondered why it had taken so long to complete.
“We were expecting to start having the water before the dry season which is when our children are exposed to so many bad things in the process of fetching water. We will really appreciate it if they could do this thing as fast as possible to save us the burden of having to wake up early to go in search of water,” Fatmata said.
Daniella Samura, a resident of Kingtom, expressed their water challenge in an interview with Politico:
“Most of the time we have to be on the street from 8pm to 2am just to fetch water. And this has really affected us a lot. This has been a major problem because water is life. So if this project which MCC is undertaking is successful, it will help to solve the water crisis in our community,” she said.
However, The Water Sector Project Director at the Millennium Challenge Coordinating Unit (MCCU) Sierra Leone, Ansumana Swaray, told Politico that the project was on course and would be completed by the end of February this year.
Swaray explained that for the project to be sustained, they had to set up the pilot clean water supply programme that had now started in Aberdeen and Kingtom, after the water pipes had been rehabilitated.
He said that before this, there was no good water system at Aberdeen and that with this new development people were very much appreciative and were looking forward to enjoying clean drinking water soon.
He said the people would be required to pay for this facility so that it would improve the commercialization of Guma Valley Water Company and help them maintain the supply because if it was successful, the project would be replicated in other communities.
Swaray said that with all the pipes in place, everything would be ready within the shortest possible time and that by the end of February it would start operating in the two communities.
Tity Mansaray, a resident of Aberdeen expressed her satisfaction over the project and hoped that it would solve the water problems they faced. She attributed the lateness of children in school to the time they had to spend in search of water, and called for the project coordinators to fast-track the process.
The US$ 44.4 Million threshold Programme is implemented by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Government of Sierra Leone. One focus of the program is to effectively deliver water and electricity services, with focus on the Greater Freetown area. Another focus area of the programme is to support reforms increasing transparency and accountability in the delivery of these services to limit opportunities for corruption.
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