By: John S Conteh in Falaba
Since the establishment of Falaba as a district on its own by erstwhile president Ernest Bai Koroma’s led administration in 2017, the district has on the 15th September 2021 got its first sachet water processing factory.
The factory located in the district headquarter town of Mongo Bendugu according to the Regent Chief of Mongo chiefdom, Sheku Korio Jawara will help ensure safe drinking water and as well as save them from the high cost they use to buy a bundle of the sachet (at Le15, 000) when brought to the district from Kabala district.
Speaking to Politico, Chief Jawara expressed joy over the project, nothing that the owner of the company Saidu Jalloh is a young man who has been doing business in the community for over a long period of time. Therefore, he said he was not surprised that he could bring such development to the district.
Jalloh told Politico that he named the company “We Yone Falaba Wata" because he wanted it to be owned by the people of Falaba. He said his initiative is both to ensure the people access safe and clean drinking water and as well ensure it is affordable. For that, he said he will be selling a bundle of sachet at Le 7,000 instead of Le15, 000 and that the factory would produce about 200 bundles per hour to avoid scarcity.
He assured that the factory would be sustainable in the district as he plans to extend the factory at Chiefdom levels for easy access and distribution. He added that the investment will also serve as an employment opportunity for those willing to work with him. He disclosed that his next intention is to open a poultry farm in addition to the factory.
However, Jalloh said he is currently constrain with vehicles for easy transportation and distribution within the district. "Presently I'm hiring motorbikes to transport the water from the factory to the town which sometimes resulted to lots of wastage in the process," he said.
He called on residents of Falaba district to support his business for sustainability.
A Civil Society Activist from Rise up Falaba Organization who also doubles as youth’s representative Abdulai Jalloh on behalf of CSOs and youths welcomed the initiative and pleaded for its sustainability which he said could only be achieved when the community gives it maximum support. He called other indigenes of Falaba to look at a particular problem in the district and find a solution to it without waiting for government intervention.
Falaba district remains one of the deprived districts in Sierra Leone since its establishment. Its residents have constantly complained about the lack of basic social and economic facilities like good road networks that link them to the rest of the country. A situation that has made them be more connected to neighbouring Guinea through trade than the home country, Sierra Leone.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (22/09/21)
