GAA DARE BOREHOLE PROJECT 2020

Water being a basic necessity is still inaccessible to many people in developing countries. Gaa Dare, a village in Moro local government, Kwara state Nigeria have been faced with the challenge of water poverty with no access to safe water for years which not only affected their day to day activities but also opened the community to a series of water-borne diseases.

The only source of water in the entire village comes from the captured shallow well which is dirty and unsafe. It is vulnerable to contamination due to human and animal activities, thereby, exposing people to cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid among other dangerous waterborne diseases. 

Despite the health hazard posed to the people by the water source, the well is relied upon for household purposes like drinking, cooking, bathing, masonry and even to keep animals alive. Despite that, the water is not safe. People struggle to get water.

 Women and girls suffer from inaccessible water the most because they need to keep the home clean and keep the family nourished. women and children in Gaa Dare walk miles under the burning weather almost on a daily basis to get water. 

The daily routines of collecting water for a family on a regular basis is risky, stressful, time taking. 

According to the village elder, in past years, neighbouring communities relocated to other places where they can have access to water. He expressed his fears, saying:

We hope to get access to water in order to stay alive. We have no helpers. Our women and children are suffering.

Taking the lead is Haliya Abdullah who is just five years old and other girls within the community.  Walking miles to get a little amount of water to keep them going for days. At the peak of the water scarcity, Haliya like every other girl often stays back home because they lack water to bath and wash their dirty school uniform. 

Mr Kamil brought the plight of this community to Hope Spring water charity and Hope Spring came to their aid by funding a borehole for the community.

Alfa Abdulmumini Aremu the Mogaji of Gaa Dare, expressed gratitude to the foundation for the borehole while acknowledging the impact the facility has had on their communities.

He expressed the suffering the community went through before the borehole was done. In his word the community can now get safe water with ease 

Speaking at the Handover ceremony, Mr Mubarak Oladosu who is a volunteer as head of operations at the Charity organisation said

The water intervention was done to alleviate water poverty in the community. He added that the water came at the right time for the community at a time the world is fighting COVID-19. Mr Mubarak called on Nigerians to support the charity to increase its impact in the country.

With the water provision in the community, women will be more productive to spend more time on their work and businesses rather walking miles to fetch water daily. Children will be able to stay at school, complete their education and have a brighter future.

Various health and physical risk associated with drinking unsafe water and walking through bush paths to get water such as rape, snake bite, waterborne illnesses will reduce in the community.