By Amadou Jadama
As part of its now regular philanthropic intervention in Gambian schools, UK charity, Sunshine Water Group, recently inaugurated two boreholes at Jidda- Sukuta Lower Basic School in Kombo East and Foni- Kanuma Basic Cycle School.
This latest intervention in two communities takes care of perennial water problems in those schools thereby creating a conducive environment from the smooth running of learning in the facilities for both pupils and staff and the wider community.
It came on the heels of other projects initiated by the group across many communities in the country. These include the rehabilitated toilet blocks and rebuilding of a collapsed section of Brufut Lower Basic School perimeter fence.
Similar projects were implemented by Sunshine Group at Sibanor Lower and Upper Basic School, Penyem Upper Basic School, Toubakuta School, Latriyaa Lower Basic School, Rumber Nursery and Lower Basic School and schools in Mariam- Kunda and Busumbala Annex.
Outlining the group’s vision, Alhagie Darboe, engineer on the projects, said Sunshine Water Group places a lot of importance in the provision of safe drinkable water for the schools.
“This year alone, the group spent D426,055,00 on sinking two boreholes in Jidda and Kanuma Lower Basic Schools and expanding the water capacity for Brufut Upper Basic school with an additional 2000-liter capacity water tank,” Mr Darboe said
He revealed that from 2014 when the project started to date, Sunshine Water Group spent D1,706, 055.00 on boreholes and expansion of water capacities in many schools.
Mr Darboe extended gratitude to the donors and advised the beneficiary schools to take ownership of the projects and take proper care of the facilities, since there is no maintenance budget for the project.
Abdoukarim Sey, headmaster of Jidda Sukuta Lower Basic School, expressed profound gratitude to the donors for providing his school with clean and safe drinking water.
He said the borehole would not only benefit the school, but also the community of Jidda Sukuta and many other people.
Headmaster Sey paid tribute to Sunshine Water Group for providing timely and essential help in the form of water to Gambian school children.
Another speaker, Lamin Janneh who spoke on behalf of the Regional Directorate, said: “With water, you have given us life and development because water is everything. Without water, there would be no life. We suffered a lot in the past months after our old borehole broke down,” the education officer lamented.
He tasked the management of the schools to take good care of the facilities and commended the donors for a humanitarian intervention.
Saikou Badgie, the alkalo of Jidda- Sukuta said the borehole is God-sent because as a new village, the settlement started with no water facility and the villagers had to trek kilometers to get water.
“Today we are very excited to have a new borehole which is a big facility for Jidda in terms of water. But still now, as Jidda is growing, we are looking for more boreholes so that we can sustain ourselves with water,“he begged.
The alkalo thanked the donors through Alhagie Darboe for ending the suffering of teachers and students who have been suffering looking for avenues to get water for the school since the collapse of the previous borehole.
Helen Gettings, a teacher from the UK and the head of Sunshine Water Group, said water is very essential to human life. She congratulated the communities and said Sunshine Water Group has been assisting the country for nearly ten years now, implementing about a dozen projects.
Sunkary Sanneh, the principal of Kanuma Basic Cycle School thanked the donors for the kind gesture in providing water facilities for his school.
