In their bid to provide clean and safe drinking water for communities of Sankandi and its surrounding villages, the Netherland-based foundation Nyatouta Foundation last Saturday commissioned a new water borehole for the community at a ceremony held at the village.
The commissioning of the borehole was facilitated by Sainey Manjang, a native of Sankandi and a friend to the founder of the foundation.
The borehole was funded by the Borealis, an international chemical-making factory through its water-for-the-world project, and channelled through the foundation, which was an implementing partner in the water project.
According to officials, this first phase of the water project would focus on addressing the water shortage in the village as well as provide adequate water for women gardeners and small ruminants.
The project has so far seen the completion of a borehole, and running and stand-pipe water.
The donors say this will complement government’s efforts in their bid to provide clean and safe drinking water for the people of The Gambia.
Speaking at a joyous handing-over ceremony, the son of the village Alkalo, Sutaring Darboe, praised the donors for coming to their aid.
He said the major constraint of his village is water, “which will surely be a thing of the past”.
He called on others to emulate the gesture of Nyatouta Foundation describing them as true friends of Sankandi. The water borehole, he noted, will go a long way in alleviating the problem of water in the village.
“The entire community is very happy today, and we hope to take ownership of the borehole,” Alkalo Darboe said, adding: “Water is necessity to all human beings; without it there cannot be life.”
He also called for assistance in medical clinic, saying the health centre they bank on is very far from the village, which causes a lot of stress and pains for people, especially sick women and children, in the village.
The chairman of the Village Development Committee, Lamin Sano, made similar comments urging residents of Sankandi to emulate the good work of Sainey Manjang, who facilitated the gesture.
He also re-echoed the village head’s call for construction of a health centre as “it is very difficult to evacuate patients, especially at night”, to nearby health clinics.
Arpai Drammeh and Lamin Drammeh, both village elders, spoke at the ceremony and commended the donors for a “job well done”.
The representative of Borolis at the commissioning ceremony, Marc Lawer, thanked the villagers for the rousing welcome accorded them.
Nyatouta Foundation, he noted, is sponsoring several projects in The Gambia including schools, hospitals, and making donations.
Recalling, Marc said: “I came to the village one year ago, I know Sainey before I came to The Gambia, who told me during the visit that they have a big problem of water in the village, and I suggest to Meip the problem because every human being and animal needs water. We talked it together with our Company Boralis, which has chemical factories whole over the world.”
He said water is life and Borealis wants to do something for poor people in Africa, Asia and America.
It was after putting the proposal before his people in Belgium that they accepted to help the community through the Nyatouta Foundation, he explained.
He urged the beneficiaries to upkeep of the borehole and take ownership of it, adding that water is expensive.
“You must take care of this water project,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Pa Omar Bojang, Chief Scouts Commissioner, representing the Gambia Scout Association, partners to the Naytouta Foundation, also hailed the efforts of the foundation in improving the livelihood of the community of Sankandi and environs with clean drinking water.
He recalled the contribution of the foundation towards the socio-economic development of the country in many endeavours.
The founder of Nyatouta Foundation, Miep Broos, said he feels happy to hand over the new borehole, which was a dream for the villagers.
She said the foundation’s areas of intervention include agriculture, education, and health, while reiterating her commitment to the cause of the village.
She also paid tribute to her late husband, with whom she started the foundation, by dedicating the Sankandi water project to him.
Sainey Manjang, facilitator of the project, expressed thanks to the donors saying: “I feel proud to see this dream come true as project.”
Meanwhile, the Foundation, on same day, also donated more than 20 cartoons of second-hand clothes and13 bicycles to the communities.
