NGO Donates Borehole To IDPs’ Settlement In Kaduna

A Jos-based non-governmental organisation, Transfer of Appropriate Sustainable Technology and Expertise (TASTE-Nigeria) with the support of the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians (OFNC) in the United Kingdom has donated a 25,000-litre capacity solar-powered borehole to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs’) settlement at Ungwan Waziri, Buwaya, Chikun local government area of Kaduna State.

At the commissioning of the borehole, the lawmaker representing Chikun state constituency in Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon Chawaza Ayuba Ishaku, said he hadbeen consulting to attract intervention projects to reduce the suffering of the IDPs and their hosts in his constituency.

He said the borehole is reticulated to four different draw-up points with each having four taps which made it a total of 16 taps, four-unit of one compartment toilet facility (two for men and two for women) and as a part of the project, 20 indigenous members of the community were trained as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) promoters.

The N12 million WASH project is the fourth in Chikun council and seventh in Kaduna State executed by TASTE with support from development partners including the Chawazah Saving Lives Foundation.

According to the lawmaker, there are about 10 displaced persons camps/settlements in the constituency each lacking basic facilities such as water, toilet, health, school and power supply.

“This is one of about ten IDP camps in Chikun constituency. Some of the displaced persons who are from Birni Gwari, Kuriga, Kudai, Udawa, Kwanti among others have resettled here at Angwan Waziri due to bandits’ activities in their homes. As we can see, they lack basic amenities including safe water, a health facility, a school, and other necessary things.

“Water is life. Having seen the plight of my people, I reached out to an NGO known as TASTE-Nigeria headquartered in Abuja to intervene in the provision of water sanitation and hygiene facilities and I’m happy that my plea has been translated into concrete facilities we are commissioning today.

“So, I’m grateful to God Almighty and TASTE-Nigeria for this. We will continue to partner with TASTE-Nigeria and other NGOs to see more areas of collaboration to help reduce the suffering of our people. We have IDP camps in Kujama axis, Mararaba Rido, Sabon Tasha axis, Goni-Gora, Lafiagi, Gwagwada and even in Niger state”, he said.