A dream come true!
"You can see that I'm overjoyed today because I'm living a moment I've dreamed of for so long. Thanks to World Vision, this dream is finally possible", is how 16-year-old Judette describes the current situation in Mon Repos, a small town of around 1,500 inhabitants whose access to water has long been very difficult and is now a reality.
In fact, before World Vision arrived in the area, the people of Mon Repos had difficulty finding water. Several attempts have been made over the years but to no avail. That said, for years people were forced to walk around 4 km to fetch water for their daily consumption.
"It was difficult for us here at Mon Repos to find water for bathing, washing, and cooking. We had to go all the way to the Malfety River to fetch used water, which put our health at risk," explained Judette.
"Children even smaller than me had to take the main road to fetch water. It's a road that's very busy with all kinds of vehicles and drivers, who very often don't respect the appropriate speed limits. This being the case, in addition to the fact that we were tiring ourselves out by walking for several kilometers to find water which is not good for our health, the risk of being hit by cars was also very likely", she added.
Maxonne Joseph, president of the water management committee in Mon Repos, concurs, saying that "there was a real danger for the 80 or so families living in the locality, especially for the children who used the national highway every day, traveling all that distance to find water. They were exposed daily to cars that often speed on this main road, where accidents are often recorded".
"All these problems, among others, are what World Vision has enabled us to solve thanks to this response to one of our main demands to the Dumas Area Program", Maxonne recalled.
Indeed, Hermann Solhem, AP Supervisor in Dumas, explains that, from the outset, World Vision prioritized the problem of water scarcity in Mon Repos because, during community meetings, water needs were the ones most reported by the population.
"This issue became even more urgent for us when we saw how high the risk was for children taking the national highway to fetch water. A road that has no structures available for pedestrians. So we were obliged to act on this problem well before the others because it involves a whole range of issues linked to the protection of children's lives", he explains.
World Vision's interventions and support are sustainable. And the people of Mon Repos are ready to contribute to keeping this "wealth" for a long time to come, to repeat Maxonne's words. "It's a community responsibility for us to manage this waterhole sustainably. The committee is already working with people to agree on a monthly contribution to help us with the minor maintenance required," he said.
For his part, Garnel Saintilmond, President of the Board of Directors of the Section Communal of Bahara, promised to support the population in the management of this water system, which for him represents "a very great favor" on the part of World Vision, whom he thanked warmly: "This problem of access to water, which has persisted for so long and put an entire population at risk, has now been resolved thanks to World Vision. When we think of all the problems that this water point will solve in Mon Repos (reduced risk of accidents, health risks, etc.), we are very grateful".
Reactions are pouring in. The thanks come from virtually the entire population, amazed by World Vision's intervention. "I can't find the best words to express my thanks to the organization that has been accompanying the population in such a wonderful way for the past two years, especially through a series of actions aimed directly at children", said Judette.
"I hope that the committee in charge and other community members will manage the system well so that we can enjoy the benefits of this water system for a long time to come," she concluded.