Water is a Basic Human Right, yet the lack of clean and potable water in Ibereshe community in Ogun State caused them untold hardship hence, we intervened

They survive on their only source of water which is seventy feet (70) deep well which is twenty minutes away from the village. It takes approximately ten minutes to fill a twenty-litre bucket of water using a fetching bag traditionally called ‘IFAMI’ in the Yoruba land for their daily domestic activities such as cooking, washing and the rest.

The village consists of four communities that depend on fetching from these seventy feet well to survive daily. Fetching from this well is so stressful to the extent that it causes severe body pains for the elderly and other stress related medical challenges. Children tend to miss school because of how tired they become after fetching from the well. Most of them end up not having their bath because they are too tired to fetch again after fetching for domestic use.

In IBERESE community where water is also important for them to source for their livelihood, most of them venture into different types of occupations to fend for their family. ‘FUFU’ and ‘PALMOIL’ production is the major business in the village and their business struggles during the dry season as the well dries up. This in turn effects cost of production. Business owners can’t get access to clean water for production and eventually can’t pay their employees and unfortunately the business folds.

We at HASKE WATER AID AND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION, where our sole objective is to give hope to people in communities in dire need of clean and potable water. We conducted a series of surveys including a geophysical survey and we met with the village head and the entire community who were in turn happy to receive us into their homes and they contributed immensely to the success of what was to come to them.
The borehole project commenced immediately and moved smoothly, it took us approximately three months to complete the project and it was indeed successful. The borehole benefited over 1000 people.
A date was set for the commissioning of the project and it was graced by the all heads of each community and the people of the village at large, they came out in their masses to appreciate and celebrate the good work that has been accomplished in the village. Their traditional masquerades and traditional musicians came to grace the occasion and serenade the entire atmosphere with praises and music.

The village head (Chief Alado, Afobabje of Ibereshe) in his welcome address thanked Haske Water Aid and Empowerment Foundation for gift of water. The Executive Director of Haske WAEF, Chibuzor Mirian Azubuike, thanked the community for their cooperation in ensuring that the project was successful. She stated that bole hole was specifically modelled after the needs of the women who want to stand with their buckets on their heads to fetch water.

The borehole was official handed to the borehole community with them pledging to take care and manage the newly constructed borehole and the water was open to the entire village, they said the business that had shut down because of lack of water will be revived and new ones would spring up to give way to more income for individuals and the village at large.

The commissioning came to an end and we all returned to our respective homes with our hearts filled with joy for having giving hope to another community in dire need of water.

We thank our donors Weinmann Trust Fund/ Toledo Community Foundation for their support. We look forward to getting more impact so that we can continue to make impact.