By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), GOAL Prime Organization Nigeria, has launched a borehole rehabilitation project in Mafa town of Mafa Local Government of Borno state with support from UNICEF.
The Country Director, GOAL Prime Organization of Nigeria, Dr. Christopher Chinedumuije, in his remark while launching the borehole rehabilitation project in Mafa on Monday, said the initiative was aimed at providing access to clean water for thousands of people in the community, especially women, children, and the elderly who trekked long distances to get drinking water.
He added that the water project also focused at rehabilitating two boreholes that have been grounded or non-functional for over two years in the community.
According to him, lack of access to clean water has caused hardship and numerous challenges to the residents of the community.
“Last year, Mafa LGA experienced a cholera outbreak, with 216 suspected cases while seven culture-positive cases, and two deaths were recorded”, he said.
The Country Director noted that key stakeholders and partners involved in the borehole rehabilitation project include community leaders, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and Mafa Local Government Council.
He said the water project is scheduled for completion on April 20th, and it is expected to significantly improve the community’s access to clean water, while pointing out that upon completion, the two rehabilitated boreholes will provide 50 litres of water per day, to reach approximately 3,333 individuals in the community.
He also disclosed that plans for the provision of more water and sanitation projects in the area would be a priority of Goal Prime Organization, considering the cholera outbreak epidemic in 2022 in Mafa town, which is as a result of poor access to clean water.
The Country Director, further, said that in order to ensure the sustainability of the borehole rehabilitation project, community members are being provided with tools and empowered with the necessary skills to carry out future maintenance and repairs by themselves.
He opined that community participation in the water project will help guarantee long-term success and continued access to clean water for the people of Mafa LGA.
Dr. Christopher noted that the borehole rehabilitation project carries out by GOAL Prime Organization of Nigeria was supported by UNICEF, which played a significant role towards improving the lives of thousands of people in Borno State by way of providing clean water and easing the burden of the vulnerable populations.
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