Report from The Gambia 2013: 56 Million litres of water consumed in three villages since 2007
May 14 2013
We are delighted that Ping Charity’s activities are continuing to show good results. Bafaluto has consumed 26 million litres of drinking water since the water system was completed in Nov.2007. The village is looking better and the population has increased by 30 % .The gardens are flourishing and the women needed some help to replace buckets & ropes which they use to haul water from the irrigation wells. After 6 years the tank requires repainting and the men are attending to that. We have asked Gambian Experience and The West African Tour company to take tourists to the village, to show what a small NGO such as PING can successfully achieve.
Njongon and M’Bollet Ba, on the North Bank have consumed 30 million litres of drinking water. The Water Committees have organised bank accounts and each village operates their own way of collection, one collects so much per 20lt container and the other charges so much monthly. The Brick making, bread baking and bee keeping are providing local employment & making a small contribution to the village development funds; all organised by and under the watchful eye of our long term partner Momodou Joof.
We decided on the basis of these successes to go ahead with the next project; three villages which are located close to each other, Kerr Wali, Chessay and Ndofan (combined pop.1,800) which currently only have polluted water wells. On our visit we negotiated discounts and extended payment terms with the local suppliers. This and the fact that the villagers are happy to clear the borehole site & dig the 3,300 mts of distribution trenches means that we can complete this project for £54,000, which breaks down to only £30 per head. Great value for money!
The villagers have seen the improved prosperity and health of their neighbours in Njongon and they are very excited and grateful that they’ll have clean drinking water themselves before the end of 2013. The pressure is on us now to find the final £20,000 to ensure no interruption to the work which commenced this week.
£30 only for a person to have clean drinking water for the next 25+years; so you know exactly what your contribution will achieve.