ACCESSING clean water is always a challenge for many of the country’s rural communities.
And Ranoggah in the Western Province is no exception.
And because of that, a number of communities have taken the initiative of seeking ways to access funds from the country’s development partners and other aid donors for water supply projects.
One of the communities called Karovo which is situated opposite the main village of Buri on Ranongah is doing the same to address its access to clean water challenge.
A spokesperson for the community, Waldy Dicks said they are seeking assistance to purchase water tanks for their homes.
For many years, the community used water from standpipes. However, all standpipes are now old and therefore, their pursuit to secure funding for water tanks.
The problem with standpipes is that during bad weather, the water sources are flooded and dirty, affecting the standpipe water supply.
The rising sea-level also affects water pipes that run along the coastlines.
A visit by Solomon Star Gizo to the community last weekend saw that most of the standpipes were indeed old and need replacement.
Moreover, some of the steel and polythene pipes were also rusty and broken. As a result, villagers have turned to the use of rubber to seal off leakages.
Lack of maintenance to standpipes to ensure durability was also observed as a problem facing the rural communities.
Most standpipes were either old and lying idle or leaking. Some of the taps were also old, leaving the standpipe water to run freely 24-7.
At the moment, water is only accessed along the coast in Karovo. Water cannot reach those further uphill, forcing those living there to travel all the way down to the coast to access water.
The only option for these communities is to get water tanks for each and every household.
The rising population within the community also contributes to the high demand for water, it was highlighted.
Mr Dicks said accessing clean water is one of their immediate needs and the committee hopes that funding support will be secured soon.
Access to clean and reliable water is important for rural communities, especially mothers and children for washing, bathing, cooking and other domestic use.
At the moment, many villagers depend on streams to do their washings and water that spring out from rocks to drink but have to walk and paddle long distances.
And this is a challenge for the elderly people who cannot walk far.
For many rural villagers, accessing water at their door step, is a goal they have to work hard to accomplish.
By MOFFAT MAMU
