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A section of Guo residents compete with animals for water

Animals Human Water File photo of a water body

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 Source: Raphael Derbie

Guo is one of the largest communities in the Nandom municipality in terms of numerical strength.

The community is predominantly peasant farmers. The people in this community are very industrious, peace loving, respectful and caring. It shares boundaries with Sentu, Tuopare, Lyssah, Vapuo, Ko and Zimuopare.

The Guo community is bedevilled with myriad of basic developmental challenges ranging from debilitating and unmotorable road network, lack electricity at certain parts of the community among others. More pressing and worrying is the lack of potable water at some parts of the community.

The Bobol section of the Guo community in this 21st century still competes with pigs, cows, goats and sheep for drinking water. Women living around this section of the community fetch their drinking water from this hole. Water in this hole, is what the animals living around there also depend on for survival. Sometimes, when the animals muddied the water, these women would have no option than to sit back and wait for the water settle down before they fetch.

The repercussions for drinking this water are numerous. Diseases such as typhoid, skin rashes and other water-borne diseases are some of the results they get for drinking this water. This further leads to other avoidable ailments and deaths.

One may be wondering whether or not there are boreholes in the community. Indeed, there are boreholes but where these boreholes are situated are very far from this section of the community. Also, the roads leading to the boreholes are in such a way that one can not carry water to one's house without falling. This left the people particularly the women in that section with no option than to compete with the animals for that dirty water. This has resulted in a loud cry for portable water by the people living in that section of the community.

The pictures above are sufficient evidence to touch the hearts of benevolent individuals, groups, NGOs to safe the rest of the lives of these people by urgently providing them with good drinking water.

To conclude, I wish to use the opportunity to passionately appeal to NGOs, benevolent individuals and groups to come to the aid of these people. Thank you.

Columnist: Raphael Derbie