LIBERIA: Living Water Int’l provides safe drinking water for ODF Communities
By: WASH R&E “Media” Network – Several Open Defecation Free (ODF) Communities in Kakata and Gibi Districts in Margibi County are happy recipients of hand pumps provided by the faith based charity Living Water International in their respective communities.
A hand pump in one of the ODF communities in Kakakta District, Margibi
The beneficiaries were triggered by the Christian charity through the Community Led Total Sanitation, an initiative introduced by the Government of Liberia.
The CLTS is an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to completely eliminate open defecation, prioritize improved sanitation and live healthy.
Communities are facilitated to conduct their own evaluation and analysis of open defecation and take their steps to become Open Defecation Free.
Community residents still maintaining the ODF status in Margibi..thanks to LWI
As part of the process, locals are encouraged to keep their environment clean and healthy through the process of building their own toilets, dish rocks, cloth lines and garbage bins among others.
Communities in the 2 Districts that benefited from the provision of safe drinking water from the Christian charity include PAW Mission, Clinton Farm, James Milton Farm, Boakai Farm, Jane-ta, Sangui Town, Sayonkon, Tinkula-ta, Konoquelleh, Minor Town, Gbah Town, Pee Joe Garage, Brownell Farm, Tucker Farm and Kelleh Farm.
Other communities include Togar, Kollie De-Dee, Gbanju, Gbagboo, Parker Town, Chinnie Town, Sam David Town, Gbeayan Town, Woryon Town, and Junkai Kpayah amongst several others.
Hand Pump facility in Tunka Town, Kakata District
Speaking to the WASH Media over the weekend during an assessment visit as part of Global Water Action Month, the residents of the ODF communities described the construction of hand pumps by Living Water International as a gift from the charity.
They described the construction of hand pumps in their respective communities as significant and commended the Christian charity for the gesture.
In an interview, the Paramount Chief of Kakata District, Fahn Lepolue noted that safe drinking water provided by Living Water International has contributed immensely to the reduction of water borne diseases in his town and other ODF communities.
Kakata District Paramount Chief, Fahn Lepolue
Paramount Chief Lepolue said before the intervention of Living Water International through the CLTS initiative, residents were living in filth with animal and human feces all over their communities.
He said due to the knowledge provided them by the charity, residents are no more doing things to put the community in an Open Defecation status.
Chief Lepolue added that the hand pumps provided have created the platform for beneficiaries to protect themselves from illnesses.
He said residents are no more drinking from the creeks and sicknesses that were on the increase in their communities have reduced.
Also speaking, the Town Chief of Woryon Town, John Flomo providing a history of the town, indicated that residents of his town were once keeping the town dirty by practicing open defecation.
Waywon Community Residents during a regular cleaning up of their village
Town Chief Flomo said as a result, many residents, especially children contracted illnesses that could have been prevented through personal hygiene.
He said when Living Water told them about the CLTS initiative, they embraced it by working with the charity to keep their environment clean.
Chief Flomo said through the CLTS, their community now remains clean and residents are now healthy.
He said the provision of safe drinking water by the charity was amazing to them because residents are no more drinking water from the creek.
Chief Flomo said measures have been put in place by the town authority to maintain and protect the hand pumps.
Meanwhile, the charity has clarified that the provision of the hand pumps was a gesture from them and not a package with the community Led Total Sanitation initiative.
The charity said the hand pump provision to the communities is another form of encouraging them to not revert to the pass by drinking from unsafe water sources.
A total of 47 communities are said to have benefited from the provision of safe drinking water from Living Water International in Margibi county.
