PHOTO: Two of the hand pumps dedicated
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- The provision of safe drinking water for most of the world’s population in the 21st Century has become a gripping issue for sons and daughters and some governments of the world, as people of developing countries like Liberia are still lacking behind in said direction.
Liberia with support from its international partners and citizens is exerting efforts to ensure that half of its little over 4 million people have direct access to safe drinking water by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this quest, Retired Captain Jerry Kerkulah Kollie, a son of Bong County is among many sons and daughters across the country that are buttressing efforts by the Government of Liberia to accelerate access to safe drinking water for the people.
He has expressed his interest in the pending Representative By-election to fill the vacant seat created by the election of Senator Prince Moye.
In early 2021, Mr. Kollie, who was the spokesman for the disbanded AFL, contracted Africa Highwood; a non for profit organization based in the USA to construct thirty six hand pumps, and has now begun constructing durable hand pumps in Bong County mainly in Jorquelleh District #2. Africa Highwood is operating in Liberia.
Since the organization was contracted to do the durable hand pumps, according to the administrator of Africa Highwood, John Moore nine of the hand pumps have already been completed.
Prior to the construction of these hand pumps, inhabitants of the area made several appeals to humanitarian organizations and the County’s authorities to quickly intervene by providing safe drinking water to for their communities.
Speaking at the dedicatory ceremony recently in Foloblah Town, Jorquelleh District #2, Mr. Kollie said safe drinking water is crucial to Liberia’s development ,as such collaborative efforts are needed to address the issue.
Aspirant Jerry Kerkulah Kollie
He said when Liberians have access to safe drinking water, the number of people who go to the various health centers and hospitals due to water-related illnesses will considerably reduce as well as the death rates in the country.
According to Mr. Kollie, though Jorquelleh District #2 is not the only district in Bong county facing safe drinking water problem, his benevolent intervention was from a baseline study conducted which revealed that 90% of the population in the area was fetching water from unprotected walls, creeks and rivers.
He said: “Just besides residents of Jorquelleh District #2 fetching unsafe drinking water, they have to travel like twenty five minutes to a point of getting safe water which is an unbearable situation for them. So with these brand new hand pumps constructed now in the district will greatly help our people that have been suffering for good water because water is life.”
The Bong County District #2 Representative Aspirant in the pending by-election then encouraged the benefiting communities to take ownership of the project.
Also marking remark was the district commissioner David Carsue extoled Mr. Kollie and Africa Highwood for what he called the timely completion of the hand pumps in the area.
Meanwhile, Madam Mammie Sumo of Foloblah town and Mr. Moses Sackie in the Lelekpayea community in Gbarnga have thanked Mr. Kollie for the construction of one hand pump each in their various communities that had alleviated the problem of access to safe drinking water in their respective areas.
Madam Sumo said the hand pump constructed in Foloblah Town is catering to over three hundred fifty inhabitants including residents of neighboring towns.
For his part, Mr. Sackie appealed to Aspirant Kollie to construct additional hand pump as the population of Lelekpayea community is very large and one hand pump will not serve the people efficiently.
Other residents of the district, appreciated Mr. Kollie and team for the humanitarian initiative for being the first to listen to their cries and furthered assured him of their unbending support in his political quest to represent them at the house of Representative.
“Look, I just dont know what to say but I am over happy because the newly constructed hand pump here is now providing safe cooking and drinking water for us,” Moses Dolo, a resident of Foloblah said.