In April 2023, we visited the Ikeh Bassa community in the Kwali Area Council, FCT. We discovered that they lacked access to clean water for over 30 years. Children were dying, and inter-tribal clashes were rising due to the lack of clean water.
The only water source was a stream that produced muddy-looking water. The community head lamented bitterly on how they had endured this challenge for decades without intervention from the government.
“Our women have to use unclean water like that to cook and wash. We have to boil it first before we drink. We have lost many children due to water diseases. In the past two years alone, we lost five of our children in this community.” he said.
Hassan, a community member, spoke about how the lack of water led to inter-tribal fights.
“In 2021, we lost our senior brother. The Fulanis brought their cattle to drink from our only water source. When my brother saw it, he got into a quarrel with them, and everything scattered. They started fighting. He got badly injured. We rushed him to the nearest hospital, over 20km away, and he died before we could get there.” he narrated.
We did a story on the situation, assisted the community in submitting need assessment letters to all the stakeholders involved, and kept pressing.
In January 2024, a borehole was constructed and now serves the community. The Bank of Industry did the intervention through Hon Danladi Chiya, the chairman of the Kwali Area Council.
According to the community head, the contractor informed them they came across the community’s story on our social media. They went to the chairman, who had also received our letter, and that was how the partnership was born.
Mrs Hauwa, the woman leader, narrated how this was a win for women in the community, as they were affected the most by the lack of a clean water source.
“That day you came, I just followed you to the river like that because I was not happy and I was not sure that what you were doing would bring water for us. Many people come like that, and nothing happens, but seeing the water, I am very happy now. In fact, no one is as happy as I am today. On behalf of all our women, we pray that God bless your organisation for us,” said Mrs Hauwa.
Mr Paul, the community secretary, spoke about how this was the first time they were getting a clean water source in the history of the community and how they always had to fight to have access to the dirty water source that was harming them.
“Our people have really suffered from this lack of water. We have lost brothers and sisters, and our people have fought because of this water that some tribe people bring their cow to spoil the only source of our drinking water. We have to defend and protect what is saving and killing us at the same time because we have no other source of water,” he said.
The community chief, Mr Aguma Usman, expressed his gratitude to Tracka for the successful advocacy and asked for more government intervention in other areas of the community.
“We appreciate the agency who took the responsibility to provide us with this water. I also want to thank you and your organisation. If it had not been for Tracka, nobody would have heard our cries. I remember the first day you came here. You promised us that water would come to us by God’s grace, and we have seen it with our eyes. God will bless you for all you do,’ he said.
Tracka commends the Bank of Industry for this intervention and calls on Hon Danladi Chiya, chairman of Kwali Area Council, to provide other necessary amenities for the people of Ikeh Bassa.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Garba Abdullahi
