12th May, 2017
Monduva Community in Mubi South Local Government of Adamawa has commended the efforts of the European Union (EU) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for providing safe water to the border community.
The community made the commendation on Thursday while welcoming an assessment team from UNICEF and Adamawa Government officials who visited water facilities provided in the area by UNICEF.
The project was jointly funded by the EU and the Adamawa State Government under the state’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASHCOM).
Speaking on behalf of the community, Mallam Ahmadu Saidu, who is also chairman of WASHCOM in the community said that the gesture was a blessing and a big relief to the community who hitherto depended on stream water located four kilometres away from the community.
“Apart from the distance, the stream was seasonal and usually dried up during the dry season, making life difficult for us in terms of sourcing water for ourselves and our animals,” said Saidu.
Saidu observed that the safe water from the motorized borehole had also gone a long way in addressing problem of water borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera affecting the community, particularly, the children.
Also speaking, Mallam Ibrahim Gayya, who noted how other communities were coming to Monduva to fetch water urged for more of such boreholes to cater for growing demand.
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In his remarks, the leader of the assessment team, Mr. Drissa Yeo, UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, called on the community to continue to ensure judicious use and protection of the facility in the community for maximum and lasting benefit.
Yeo lauded the community members for raising the sum of N50,000 as part the of the community’s counterpart contribution to the water facility.
He urged them to continue to raise more funds for routine maintenance of the borehole.
The motorised borehole provided for the Monduva community is one of hundreds provided in communities in Adamawa State under the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Project (WSSSRP).
The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of rural water supply and sanitation sector in the state.
It is also to support increased access to improved and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services delivery in 744 rural communities in Fufore and Mubi South Local Government areas of Adamawa.