BOR – For Athou Nomi, collecting water meant walking for hours and constant fear.
Along with other women and girls in Baidit payam, she would risk her life every day, trekking through dangerous territory in this conflict-affected region.
What should be a basic right for any human being shouldn’t end up being a threat to their well-being.
This part of South Sudan in Bor County has a long history of challenges, including the devastation caused during the war in 2013 when most of the population fled their homes. For the 40,000 that remained, just surviving has required immense resilience, patience and persistence.
To help protect communities and support recovery, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) funded a project to pump water from 100 meters below ground into holding tanks accessed with solar-powered taps.
This has made the dream of safe and easy access to clean drinking water a reality.
“For our young girls, being sent to fetch water often meant experiencing sexual violence along the way,” explains Payam Administrator, Michael Majur Aderek. “Now that they can collect the water inside the town, they are protected by their communities and finally feel safe.”
For Athou Nomi, it’s a life-changing initiative.
“Finally, being free of fear means a lot to us young women, but also to our elders who often struggled to walk long distances in the heat, breaking down on the way.”
It’s also lifesaving.
“Communities here used to consume water directly from untreated boreholes, leading to waterborne diseases like diarrhea, typhoid, malaria, and vomiting,” remembers Yar Mabior, a women’s representative. “Many of our children were affected, losing them was more than we could bear.”
What helps the population, also helps the planet.
“Projects like this don’t just relieve challenges for people but also our earth,” shares UNMISS Head of Bor Field Office. “Wherever possible, we should try to let our actions also address climate related challenges by maintaining balances in our ecosystems.”
To maintain the facility and access to it, communities have established management committees to oversee and operate the water point.
“Water is life and since these tanks are near the road and easy to access, lives will certainly be changed,” says Executive Director for Women Empowerment, Elizabeth Ayen Kuer.
“People passing through from various areas across the county will have the same right to kill their thirst as our communities here. This is a big step towards peaceful coexistence.”
By Achol Kur Marial
