Thirty communities in Tafawa Balewa LGA of Bauchi State have been provided with water facilities to promote water, sanitation, and hygiene for healthy living.
The project was executed by WaterAid Nigeria with funding from the Armani Beauty Project in partnership with the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).
It is expected that the project will serve no less than 15,000 people in the 10 clusters that make up the thirty benefiting communities, each having no less than 1,500 inhabitants, including children.
While officially handing over the facilities to the Bauchi State Government through the Tafawa Balewa LGC at a ceremony held in Murantang, one of the benefiting communities, Sanitation Facilitator of WaterAid Nigeria, Victoria Ali, said that the project was informed by the need to promote healthy living in rural areas.
She called on the benefiting communities to ensure that the facilities were put to good use in order to achieve the set objectives, which are primarily to avert water-borne diseases, particularly cholera, among the people, especially children.
WaterAid Nigeria assured that it would continue to partner with relevant agencies in promoting WASH services in the various communities across the state, which it stressed is the primary aim of its services.
While receiving the facilities, State Commissioner of Water Resources, Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki, commended WaterAid Nigeria for its various WASH interventions in the state, saying that they have gone a long way in complementing what the state government is doing in that sector.
Represented by the General Manager of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Adamu Sabo, the Commissioner assured that the government would continue to provide the communities with water and other WASH services.
He called on the benefiting communities to ensure that the facilities were protected from vandalisation and maintained to last long, urging them to make small contributions to have a savings that would be used for minor maintenance.
Also speaking, the General Manager of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Adamu Sabo, advised the communities to always practice the WASH protocols they were taught through the WASHCom to prevent disease outbreaks.
He particularly urged them to imbibe the culture of handwashing using various methods they were taught in order to keep their hands free from contamination with infections and germs.
The RUWASSA GM stressed that they need to contribute money for regular maintenance of the facilities, not necessarily depending on the government to do everything for them.
The Chairperson of Tafawa Balewa LGC, Samaila Wakili, commended WaterAid Nigeria and its partners for the project, which he said has complemented what the government is doing to promote the healthy living of the people.
Represented by his Deputy, Maigari Adamu Jambil, the Council Chairperson assured that the Council would ensure that the facilities were protected and effectively used as expected.
Chairman of WASHCom in the community, Abubakar Zailani, expressed happiness over the project, saying that it has positively impacted the health status of the inhabitants as they now have a reliable source of clean water.
He commended WaterAid Nigeria and other partners for finding the village worthy of benefiting from the project, assuring that the facility will be maintained to last long.
Also speaking, the Village Health Committee (VHC) representative, Lubabatu Ahmed Murantang, said that her committee is responsible for ensuring hygiene around the village, particularly inside the houses and their environment.
She stressed that the committee usually goes around the households, talking to them about hygiene and a clean environment, adding that especially women are educated on how to keep and maintain a clean environment for healthy living.
Lubabatu Ahmed emphasised that the most important aspects of hygiene are regular handwashing, cleaning of toilets, covering of water pots and other utensils, as well as washing of cooking utensils before and after use.
The Local Mechanic (LAM), Sabitu Zakari Murantang, said that he has been trained on how to handle emergency mechanical faults of the borehole to ensure it does not stop functioning.
He added that his committee has been provided with the necessary spare parts to be used in replacing damaged ones while they report major repairs to the LG WASH Directorate.
Some of the residents expressed their happiness over the facility, saying that it has gone a long way in alleviating their need for a good source of water for drinking and other domestic uses.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
