By Ibrahim S. Bangura
Residents of Wenzel Street, in Kissy, on the east of Freetown have called on the Ministry of Water Resources to end decades of deprivation from pipe-born water.
They made the plea on Friday, June 12, 2024, when they spoke up for pipe borne to be connected to the community after decades.
Samuel Conteh, an elderly resident of the community, stated that they fetch water from a nearby well, which dries up during when the rainy season ends.
Conteh added that because the well is not properly covered, the water has been known to be easily contaminated, exposing them to illnesses like Malaria, Diarrhoea among others.
He insisted that the situation is worsened by the fact that the well is close to the gutter into which residents dump wastes.
“Flies and other insects used to settle in the water causing contamination. We have spoken people in the community to stop dumping rubbish into the gutter, but they never listen to us. We are seriously affected here in terms of pure drinking water,” said Conteh. He says that to get a container full of drinking water one has to pay Le 500 which is obtainable from significantly long distance from Wenzel Street. “During the search for water from neighboring communities, our children, mostly girls, are exposed to abuse by men which has had an abusive effect not only on our children, but also on parents us the parents because they are our future,” Conteh explained.
Mariama Koroma, 12, says that the water challenge in the community has impacted her academics.
“I always walk to nearby communities, finding ways to access pure drinking water for my parents. I don’t usually have much time for my books. Very early in the morning and very late in the evening I am always in the street in search of water. Before I get home, I am already tired. Sometimes I skip school because I am tired. So, we are appealing for pipe borne water in this community so as to ease our constraints and protect us from abuse,” she pleaded.