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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A non-governmental organisation known as Transfer of Appropriate Sustainable Technology and Expertise (TASTE-Nigeria) with the support of the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians (OFNC) in the United Kingdom has donated a 25,000 liter capacity solar-powered borehole to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) settlement at Ungwan Waziri, Buwaya, Chikun local government area of Kaduna State.
The N12 million worth of water, sanitation and hygiene (wash) project is the fourth in Chikun local government and seventh in Kaduna state so far executed by TASTE-Nigeria with support from different development partners.
In an interview with newsmen during the official commissioning and handing over of the facility at Ungwan Waziri, Programme Officer, TASTE- Nigeria, Jonathan Makan said, the lawmaker representing Chikun local government constituency in Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mr. Chawaza Ayuba Ishaku, had approached his organisation’s headquarters in Abuja, requesting for assistance in providing WASH facilities at the camp to ease the suffering of the displaced persons especially women, children and aged among them.
According to him, “this particular project was supported by Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians in the United Kingdom mainly for the IDP camp here at Ungwan Waziri, Buwaya community.
“This is a solar-powered borehole with a 25,000-liter capacity tank reticulated to four different draw-up points with each draw-up point having four taps which made it a total of 16 taps.
“Then we reticulated the water to four-unit of one compartment toilet facility (two for men and two for women) and as a part of the project, we trained 20 indigenous members of the community as WASH promoters who will be going from house to house to educate people on WASH so that they can help in maintaining good WASH practices.
“We had an agreement with the benefiting community as signed in the MoU for us to maintain the facilities for two years and thereafter we train community members to maintain them”, he said.
The lawmaker representing Chikun local government constituency in Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mr. Chawaza Ayuba Ishaku, remarked that there are about ten displaced persons camps/settlements in his constituency each lacking basic facilities like water, toilet, health, school and power supply.
“This is one of about ten IDP camps in Chikun constituency. Some of the displaced persons who are from Birni Gwari, Kuriga, Kudai, Udawa, Kwanti among others have resettled here at Angwan Waziri due to bandits’ activities in their homes. As we can see, they lack basic amenities including safe water, a health facility, a school, and other necessary things.
“Water is life. Having seen the plight of my people, I reached out to an NGO known as TASTE-Nigeria headquartered in Abuja to intervene in the provision of water sanitation and hygiene facilities and I’m happy that my plea has been translated into concrete facilities we are commissioning today.
“So, I’m grateful to God almighty and TASTE-Nigeria for this. We will continue to partner with TASTE-Nigeria and other NGOs to see more areas of collaboration to help reduce the suffering of our people. We have IDP camps in Kujama axis, Mararaba Rido, Sabon Tasha axis, Goni-Gora, Lafiagi, Gwagwada and even in Niger state”, said.
Ward Head, Ungwan Waziri, Bitrus Waziri, commended the donating partners saying “we used to get available not necessarily safe or clean water from wells and streams. But this is clean water that will help reduce out-of-pocket expenses resulting from many diseases that used to plague us.
“I am very happy with the organisation and the district head of Gonin Gora that allocated this place to us and I have told our people to do the needful and take care of these facilities”.
