The community of Sare Nfally village in the Lower Fulladou West district of the Central River Region is in dire need of clean drinking water, as a result of an inadequate local well that serves the villagers.
In a recent trip to the district and the village, in particular, this reporter spoke to a number of villagers who expressed their concern over the current situation they are grappling with, and called on the relevant authorities to come to their aid.
According to village Alkalo Bokary Leigh, the villagers have for the past five years been struggling not only to have access to safe drinking water, but also sufficient wells, which remains a major concern particularly to the women.
While underscoring the importance of water in human life, Leigh appealed on behalf of the villagers for assistance for the betterment of all villagers and their animals.
‘We have suffered a lot in getting safe drinking water for our families and livestock,’ he said, adding that residents of the village do travel to neighbouring villages in search of drinking water all because of the lack of enough local wells.
Kumba Sey, a village woman lamented the struggle women in the village encounter to have access to clean and safe drinking water, noting that their difficulties are numerous.
‘It is very sad in the sense that people cannot live without water, and not having access to clean drinking water can lead to diarrahoea and other diseases.
Awa Jallow, another villager, said without clean drinking water, one cannot worship. She called on the relevant authorities to come to their aid, noting that without safe drinking water, villagers will continue to suffer, especially the women.
Saidou Jallow, who also spoke to this reporter, expressed the need for the government to assess the water situation not only in the village, but also in the district as a whole to come up with a solution.