Clean Drinking Water in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State - South Sudan

Clean Drinking Water in Tambura County - Thanks to World Vision

By Daniel Massamba Meboya

Communications and Public Relations Manager

World Vision South Sudan – www.wvi.org/south-sudan

daniel_massamba@wvi.org

Eliza, aged 5, watching attentively the flow of water just launched in Hai Israel, Tambura on June 25. Minister for Physical Infrastructure Clement Juma Mbugoniwia and Commissioner for Tambura Charles Babiro looking on (Photo: Daniel Massamba Meboya)

World Vision South Sudan this week achieved a major milestone in its operations when it handed over the Mamenze Water supply scheme to the community within Tambura East Boma area of South Sudan. The project will avail clean drinking water to area residents.

In the history of Western Equatoria state, residents have over the years suffered from lack of water. World Vision’s expansion of Mamenze water spring is therefore an innovation that is unique in Western Equatoria, which was evident by the excitement during the commissioning ceremony.

Water at the project is pumped from the sump well to an elevated storage tank that is seventy metres high, using an integrated solar powered and diesel generated system as a source of energy. The water distribution network has six branches and eleven public tap-stands with twenty-three taps.  Water is supplied to 9,375 people who live in Tambura East Boma.

In the past, the whole population of Tambura East Boma, mostly women, walked long distances to access water. Through the World Vision intervention, their workload has now greatly reduced as a result of the reduction of time and distance of travel both to and from water sources.

Before the expansion

After the expansion

“I am happy that World Vision has completed the project which is now providing clean drinking water to the residents of Tambura. This is a pre-requisite for reducing the spread of water-borne diseases.  This will also dramatically reduce women’s workloads as they used to spend lots of time to only fetch 20 litres of water,” the Minister for Physical Infrastructure, Clement Juma Mbugoniwia who was the chief guest during the handing over ceremony said.

The minister called on area residents to own and support the initiative to ensure its sustainability.

Charles Babiro, the Commissioner for Tambura also paid glowing tribute to the collaboration between World Vision and Government of South Sudan that has greatly contributed to improved access to safe drinking water in Tambura.

“This is a milestone in the operations of World Vision in Tambura County, and in South Sudan as a whole.  The design and implementation of the project are the result of a high level of co-operation between World Vision and the government at county, state and national levels,” Marcellus Moyo, World Vision South Sudan’s Tambura Area Rehabilitation Programme Coordinator, said.

The ‘Access Strengthened Services for Early Recovery in Tambura (ASSERT)’ project was funded by Australia Aid.  It began in June 2011, with the aim of reducing the number of mother and child mortality and morbidity rates by increasing access to safe water and sanitation services and strengthening access to health services.

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