By Chioma Umeha
It was a carnival of sort in Ikot Ukpong and
Ikot-Esop communities, Nsit Atai Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Akwa-Ibom
State, as they celebrated provision of portable drinking water by the European
Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
While the youth from communities displayed posters
with various inscription thanking UNICEF and EU for the gesture, women on their
part rendered special songs.
Some of the posters read, “We thank UNICEF and EU
for giving us standard water, we thank all the facilitators of this project to
our community; we men and women and youth appreciate the effort of EU for giving us water, etc,”
The two communities now boast of safe drinking
water after several years of battling with diarrhea, cholera among other water
borne diseases, following the implementation of the Water Supply, Sanitation
and Hygiene (WASH) projects in the state.
Before the intervention of EU and UNICEF with the
collaboration of the state government under the WASH project, the only source
of water supply was from small rivers in the area which had no access road.
Some residents who are very ecstatic over the
project told our correspondent that trekking to the river, which is two miles
away, made school children go late to school.
The villagers spoke at a ‘WASH’ media meeting
which included a facility tour to WASHCOM sites organised by the Federal
Ministry of Information in collaboration with UNICEF in Uyo the Akwa Ibom State
capital, recently.
Also, household chores and food preparation became
a herculean task for women as a result of water scarcity.
In addition, both children and women were
vulnerable to violence and physical attack by wild animals, including snakes.
Community members further pointed out that their
sufferings with water borne diseases were over, as they now have embraced
personal hygiene.
According to them, the Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene Committee (WASHCOM) project is an intervention by God as access to
water used to be a major challenge for many decades.
Catechist Pius Ukpong, the Village Council
Chairman, narrated to INDEPENDENT how the WASHCOM project has alleviated the
pains of residents.
Ukpong said: “Prior to this time, we often
experience scarcity of water hence; anybody that had water in his house was
considered a very privileged person because water was always very difficult to
come by.”
Ukpong also explained that the villagers usually
fetch water from the village stream which he said was far away from the people
and the road was very bad.
“But, with the water project by UNICEF every
household now have water and that has also encouraged personal hygiene among
the people having been taught the importance of hand washing after using the
toilet by WASHCOM.”
On her part, Deaconess Eno John Ibok , Women
Leader/Spokesperson and WASHCOM treasurer, Ikot Ukpong, said, “We used to fetch water from the stream and
most times our pot get broken on the way, but now we no longer experience such
because UNICEF has provided water for us.
“We can now fetch from the tap, so we appreciate
UNICEF and the state government for providing us the facility,” the Women
Spokesperson said.
Also, Sarah Akpan Nathaniel, Women Group Leader
said that the water project has improved the wellbeing of the community,
particularly the children who are more vulnerable to water borne diseases.
Besides providing water for the community, the two
global agencies have also provided sanitation facility and a tippy tap to help
the villagers to practice hand washing, Nathaniel added.
“The importance of safe drinking water cannot be
over emphasised as it plays a major role in our day to day activities.
“From the kitchen to the toilet and in our daily
lives, water is very essential and with the provision of this water, the agency
has given us life and hope,” she stressed.
She further explained that while the project was
ongoing WASHCOM monitory officers often came from time to time to supervise the
job to ensure it was properly done.
She expressed gratitude to UNICEF, saying the
intervention was the first of its kind in the community.
Edinyanga Pius Ukpong, Washcom Chairman, commended UNICEF and EU for introducing them to a new hand washing
technology.
Ukpong told our correspondent: “Washcom took us
through hand washing facility training so that when people finish using the
toilet they can wash their hands before going to their houses.
“So, we use a rope and stick to construct the
tippy tap, we don’t use our hands to fetch the water. When one finishes using
the toilet, the person uses his legs to press the stick that has been tied to
the rope, then this will bring water for washing one’s hands and we have soap
there which can be used to wash hands thoroughly before returning to the
house.”
The Washcom Chairman further explained, “The tippy
tap is distributed in the entire household in the community. The village
council bought it, I teach people how to use it but, I first demonstrate to
them before I teach them.
“When I go to their houses, I show them how to
construct it, then I will loosen it and give the person to construct on his
own, then the person will do it so they can know how to use it.
On if children will not spoil the tippy tap if they
are allowed to use it, he said; “The children use potty, after they have gone
to toilet, their parents will empty it in the toilet and wash their hands on
the tippy tap.”
In his presentation during the meeting, ‘Water,
supply and quality in the Niger Delta’, Moustapha Niang, a ‘WASH
specialist,’ emphasised on the
need for proper orientation of the rural populace to adopt attitude change and
embrace water safe plan, from water source, storage to point of use.
He urged government at all levels to ensure provision
of public toilet in public facilities as a means to discourage open defecation
and consequences associated with it.
Niang also recommended constant monitoring of
water quality to detect contamination, while encouraging the establishment of a
water sanitation committee in all communities across the region,.
Corroborating, Martha Hokonya, also a WASH
specialist, in her
presentation – ‘Why invest in water supply’ said such investment in addition to job creation, reduces
diseases and mortality rate, improves
productivity and also provides time for women to engage in other
activities like child care and others activities which brings women together.
Hokonya said as an area prone to youth
restiveness, the essence of bringing the wash programme to the Niger Delta
region was to address one of the agitations of the region, reduce conflicts and
agitation and promote good hygiene.
