By: J. Mason Kollie
Lofa County, Voinjama City-January 22, 2025 – Several towns and villages in lower and upper Lofa County are currently struggling for safe drinking water as their hand pumps have all gone completely dried.
Some community members from Boawohun, Gbenkpelahun, Kimbalahun, Helahun, and Gbelahun towns, all in the Gbandi Chiefdom in Wanhassa and Lukambeh district in separate interviews expressed disappointment over the manner in which they are struggling to get safe drinking water at their respective homes.
Mr. Boakai Kanneh , Clan Chief in Upper Lukasu Clan in the Gbandi Chiefdom said in a sad tone “My brother we are really struggling for water business here, imagine people wake up as early as 5:00am just to get one bucket of water for drinking, but it can’t work. Only one spoiled hand pump in this whole area, because of that, hundreds of people are always fighting to get water. We are suffering from the water business here, let the Government please help us, “Mr. Kanneh said in an interview.
In another interview with Kimbalahun Town chief Mr. Kangoma Sesay, he explained that there is no functional hand pump in and around their area; thereby leaving the community with no option but to drink from an unsafe creek.
“Our pump is damaged, we don’t have good creek to drink from, and we are struggling. This happens every year in our town; we are therefore calling on the Government to help us because we don’t have money to construct hand pumps in our community. All hand pumps that were constructed by NGOs finished spoiled, and we ‘na’ having money to repair them, that’s the reason we are calling on the Government to help us,” Mr. Kangoma Sesay, sadly lamented during the interview conducted with him.
Each of the town in the Gbandi Chiefdom contains a population of about 2000 inhabitants while the entire chiefdom contains a little of fifteen thousand inhabitants who are currently struggling for water supply in their respective localities.
Water shortage is also reported in Voinjama district, Zorzor district and Quardu Gboni and several other areas in the County, yet up to present, there is no intervention from NGOs and local authorities.
Citizens are living in fear that there might be a possible outbreak of sicknesses if there is no intervention as they are drinking from unsafe creeks and rivers in their respective towns and villages.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita
