03/19/2012
Running water problem in Fatoto
We have had running water system in Fatoto for the past three decades. During this period, it was only the Health Center and the staff residency area that had running water. Eighteen years ago (18 years), the running water at the Health Center was extended to the entire village with an installation of Fifty Four (54) solar panels. A management committee was also set up to control and coordinate the water system.
Unfortunately, the running water system stopped working when the solar panels were stolen few years later. The breakdown of the water system was very hard on the community especially women. I have seen women travel to a nearby village Gadafaroo, which is about a kilometer or three quarters of a mile away in search of portable water. Those living further than that proximity, entirely depend on open well water for all domestic issues including drinking and cooking. This has contributed many health issues and deplorable living conditions for so many Fatotorians.
Fortunately, three years ago, a company called Swan Gambian helped revive the water system at a tune of Thirty Eight Thousand Dalasis (D38, 000.00). This amount was too expensive for the village to come up with at the time. The village was given a grace period of three months to come up with the money. A watch man was employed to avoid the solar panels being stolen again. A fifty bututes (D0.50) charge was levied on every 20 liters of water fetched. Collections were going well and an amount of D22, 000.00 was collected before the gracing period ends again.
Unfortunately, the system could not withstand the heavy thunder storms during the last rainy season because the technician did a silly mistake. The cylinder crashed due to lack of earthen the whole system. I was told that the cylinder needed to restore the running water system will cost almost Forty Thousand (D40000). I calculated this amount in Dollars and it is about $1340.
I therefore importune the generous assistance of every member of this group to enable our community access clean running and portable water once again. We all know how important clean water is to any society and the merits cannot be over emphasized. So I am pleading to every member of this group once again to lend a hand with the little you can so we can help revive the running water system once again. I believe all if not many of us know what scale of preferences is in economics. That being the case, we have to make a scale of preferences since there are many things to do at the moment. In my opinion, given the importance of water to any given life, it should be our number one priority on the list of things we have to do this year. Given the number of group members that are committed, willing and able to contribute, individually we might contribute a little more.
My suggestion at the moment is that given the small scale of contributors, we contribute $200 each to tackle the water problem. While we do that, I will try and figure out how much each will contribute to help the school. Those in the Europe and particularly in England and Spain, please send your contributions to Malang Manjang. Malang Manjang will be our European representative from now on and all matters concerning this group should be forwarded to him. I will be collecting all contributions here in America and I hope people will contribute generously. And if it will make anyone more comfortable, do post the amount that you contributed on the group’s main page. I think group members should do this for accountability and transparency.
Our people back home deserve access to clean water. So please once again I am pleading to every member of this group to contribute any amount that you can if you cannot contribute the $200. I thank you all for your commitment and dedication to help our people back home.
