A lot has happened in the world since I last updated you on the progress and status of our water development projects in Nigeria. As the global pandemic has continued to spread across the world its collateral effects have begun to take root in Nigeria. These effects include but are not limited to food and crop insecurity, government instituted lock-downs (which can be much different than those we have experienced in the states) and increased societal inequities. Nigeria’s health care system is seriously underdeveloped thus there is also widespread fear that any significant pressure on it will lead to its complete collapse.
These collateral effects are quite different than the effects we are seeing in the US (this is not to say that we are not collateral effects). The nature of the effects is largely a result of the underdeveloped nature of Nigeria. Without further lasting development these types of effects are likely to reoccur anytime there social, political/governmental, or health related volatility.
A few weeks ago I reached out the leader of the NGO we partner with in Nigeria to share my thoughts on the development and independence needs of the communities we work in. I did this realizing that while water development is critical, it is the proverbial tip of the iceberg (pun intended) and without further community development our efforts will not bring the sustainable change needed. The development plan I shared consists of five phases, and are as follows:
1. Clean water infrastructure development.
2. Sanitation and hygiene training and infrastructure development (hand-washing stations and toilets).
3. Community based healthcare development.
4. Training in and implementation of irrigation farming. Most of the villagers in the communities we work in are seasonal farmers, access to water all year can turn them in to year-round farmers. This not only improves food availability it presents greater economic opportunities.
5. Education and technology development.
When each of these areas are effectively developed the entire community is advanced and prepared to emerge and stand independently.
Water Development Update
In May our team in Nigeria completed two more water projects. This brings our total in 2020 to five and our total since October 2018 to eleven. This is an amazing and commendable accomplishment. We started 2020 with a target of completing 5 water projects by year’s end and have accomplished that goal 5 months into the year. This would not have been possible without the faithfulness of our partners in the Unites States and our team in Nigeria. I will be meeting with our board in the coming weeks to discuss our plans for the remainder of the year.
Here are a few photos of recently completed projects.
While what has been done is admirable it is just the beginning, there are thousands more communities that need clean water. To reiterate how critical the need is please take a few minutes to watch the video at the link below. This is how villagers is the village of Eggon Eben got their water before a clean water borehole was drilled in their village. We completed a clean water borehole in this village in March.
Finally, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to our partners and financial supporters. While many aid organizations in the world have seen a decrease in support in the recent months, we have seen an increase. This is a testament to the commitment of our partners and the worthiness of the cause.
Thank You!
Jason
P.S. If you haven’t done so already please follow us on Instagram @partnersforwater and visit our website www.partnersforwater.org