Monrovia, Liberia-The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will this Friday, December 20, 2024, formally turn over a modern water facility worth over eighty-three thousand United States dollars ($83,711.82) to the Donfah Community in Yellequelleh Administrative District, Bong County, a UNDP press release said on December 18, 2024.
It is part of efforts under the Accelerated Community Development Programme (ACDP), a flagship programme co-funded by the Government of Liberia and UNDP. The modern water facility serves as a source for safe and clean drinking water for Donfah community with an estimated population of a little over two thousand (2,000) inhabitants.
The water infrastructure is equipped with solar system that provides clean energy services daily to keep the flow and distribution of water to the various water points/kiosks. The facility also has a chlorination unit for purification of the water before it is distributed.
The construction of the water infrastructure will address health related issues of water borne diseases that the community has suffered over the years because of fetching and using water from contaminated sources such as creeks.
According to the Interim Manager of the ACDP, Mr. Boye Johnson, the water facilities will address challenges of access to safe drinking water by communities and for irrigation.
“The facility is centrally and strategically located in the community. It will reduce security issues for women and children vulnerable to gender-based violence while traveling long distances in search of safe drinking water and are at risk of being attacked and violated.
The ceremony will take place in Donfah Community, Bong County, beginning at 11 am. Top officials of government, Development Partners, CSOs and local officials of Bong County are expected to grace the occasion.
Donfah water facility is the first of five ongoing multipurpose water infrastructures to be completed. Construction of the remaining four water infrastructures is currently ongoing with two expected to be handed over to Mardina and Totoquelleh communities in Gbarpolu County early January 2025.
The remaining two facilities being constructed in Rivercess (Yarkpah town) and Gbarpolu (Bopolu) are expected to be completed and handed over by the end of February 2025. The combined total cost of all five water facilities is put at over three hundred thousand United States Dollars ($388,641.23).
The ACDP is an initiative of the Government of Liberia launched in October 2022 to address the real and pressing needs of the people of Liberia. Its primary goal is to reduce or eliminate poverty and inequality amongst rural poor populations by investing in agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene, energy services, health and education and infrastructure.
The five-year programme, which is put at one hundred million United States dollars for the first three years 20222-2025, is implemented by UNDP. It is expected to have an immediate impact on reducing poverty while accelerating socio-economic development in rural communities.
The programme also aims to help strengthen human capital and resilience to shocks and pandemics, as well as facilitate the implementation of the new national development plan (AAID) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.