Pa writes about his proposed project for a borehole in SAMI VILLAGE

THE GAMBIA WEST AFRICA

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Our programme for week commencing 21st August Pa Modou, who is organising the Song for Christmas, writes about the needs in his part of the world.

Clean safe water is essential for all, it is a basic human necessity and a right. Not having this keeps people’s life at risk, even to the extent where some get so sick and even die. This has been a problem in many African countries and the Gambia is not an exception to that, particularly SAMI VILLAGE.

SAMI is a village in the district of Lower Nuimi which is a kilometer from the large town of ESSAU on the North Bank Region of the Gambia. Because of its proximity to the township of Essau and population growth, Sami is becoming bigger everyday with people buying Compounds from all parts of the country and living there. Populated with approximately 3500 people and counting, Sami serves as a host to different ethnic groups like the Serere, Fulla and Mandinka which is the largest ethnic group in the Gambia.

As a growing village, the issue of clean water has been a problem from history. The local inhabitants use locally dug wells to get water for drinking, the domestic animals spot to drink and for Domestic use (cooking, washing utensils and personal cleaning like taking a bath). Sometimes they trek to the High school of the nearby community of Essau with Gallons on donkey and horse carts to get water from the taps which are usually opened and closed at a scheduled time in the day. The use of uncovered wells for drinking and domestic use has put the lives of this entire community at risk of Diarrhea, Dysentery and even Cholera. As a matter of fact these wells are low and when it rains it’s easy for the running rain waters to meander and get itself in the wells with all the debris and dirt it comes with, hence the need for a safe reliable and affordable water supply in the community in the form of a borehole.

This project is going to be partly implemented by the community by providing the man power needed to make this possible. Meanwhile the experts in borehole drilling will do their bit, which will be the aspect that support is needed for. If this project is sponsored, thousands of people will for years benefit from safe, reliable and affordable water supply for the whole community and its catchment communities.

Community Contribution – The community will be responsible for all man powered needs of the Borehole drilling and any other necessary contribution to make this Dream a successful one.

Sustainability approach – The Community will identify a committee that will solely be working on the affairs of the borehole and how to sustain it at all levels. This committee will be the selected by the Village Development Committee (VDC). All funds for sustaining the borehole will be the mandate of the committee to raise funds in the community to make that happen.

Please re-visit our programme of the 7th August Help Us Sing for Water, we are looking for your help in putting a song together for Christmas, this will help Pa’s village to achieve their hopes of clean water.

Hey everyone, wouldn’t it be crazy if we could turn clean and disease free water availibility into a craze that everyone is working towards – so let’s get producing that song.