By Prince J Musa in Kenema
An International Non-Governmental organization, Water Aid Sierra Leone with support from DFID in partnership with a local non –governmental organization Movement towards Peace and Development (MOPADA) has embarked on water and sanitation projects in communities in the Kenema district of Sierra Leone.
Five new water wells, rehabilitation of sixty existing wells and the construction of latrines for schools and health facilities have all been done in the three chiefdoms of Dama, Simbaru and Small Bo. Paramount chief Mariama Tamai Jaward described the intervention of Water Aid project in her chiefdom to be timely, especially after her community had raised concerns over the poor state of drinking water and therefore thanked Water Aid for providing the funds through MOPADA .
PC Mariama Tamia Jaward admonished her people to take good care of the facility as that will help to attain good health in the community especially for the children.
“Connecting the school and the health facility is essential as it eases the work of health workers”. She added that there will be no effective health service without the availability of water as health goes with water since water is part of life.
She assured of her commitment through working with the stakeholders in monitoring the effective and efficient utilization of the gravity water that will help to serve the community for a long time.
The Health Superintendent, Environmental Health Office under the Ministry of Health and Sanitation Eric Musa referred to the WASH project implemented by Water Aid as a big intervention in the various chiefdoms they work in.
He said the monitoring of the quality of work done in those communities will serve them especially in reducing some of the common illness that affect the community people especially diarrhea and dysentery because of poor drinking water that communities used to drink.
Eric Musa assured the communities that the Ministry of Health will continue to monitor especially the health centers and schools for proper use of the facilities.
Addressing the community members during the quarterly monitoring tour on the 14th April 2021, the programme Manager Water Aid Sierra Leone Patrick Raymond Musa said they and their partners do monitor all projects that they implement across the nation.
However, he said from the outcomes of the monitoring so far, the partners and the contractors are implementing the projects according to the project agreement though he said there are few challenges.
He said that the hand washing in schools has been satisfactory in helping the children practice good hygiene and sanitation practices in the school environment and which will encourage the children to serve as agents of change in their communities.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (16/04/21)
