It’s bye to water-borne diseases at Apapa Ogunsola village after NGO’s intervention

THE people of Apapa Ogunsola village in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State are now heaving a sigh of relief after a non-governmental organisation, FAIRACTION Nigeria, a subsidiary of FAIRACTION International in Australia, completed a solar-powered smart water kiosk that delivers water tested and certified to meet all national and United Nations drinking water quality standards. The kiosk employs a local resident as a full-time attendant responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring uninterrupted access to safe water for the community.

Prior to the support of the NGO, the community’s only source of water is a stream, and it is not uncommon for residents to suffer from water-borne diseases like typhoid, guinea worm, cholera, among others.

This was confirmed by the traditional ruler of the village, Chief Oladepo Akinwale, who commended FAIRACTION for the support.

Chief Akinwale said: “Our only source of water is a stream, and this has really been affecting the health of residents of the village.

“We had dug water wells on several occasions but we never came in contact with water, and experts blamed it on the topography of the land. We then resigned to faith and continued drinking the water from the stream.

“It was, however, a surprise when one of my subjects informed me that an organization supports communities with water; we then gave the organisation a trial because we never believed a non-government organisation could do such a thing for the village.

“Today, we are happy that our challenges over the years have come to an end and we can now start life afresh.

“In fact, before FAIRACTION’s gesture, people do not want to live in the village because of lack of water. We are grateful that with the borehole, the health of residents will improve; there will be no more health issues linked to poor water consumption.” 

The traditional ruler of Ayekale Alaguntan, which comprises 26 villages, among which Apapa Ogunsola is one, Chief Tunde Ogunsesan, commended FAIRACTION for the support, saying it would definitely go a long way in boosting the health of the people.

He said: “With this project, FAIRACTION has solved 90 percent of the problem in Apapa Ogunsola. This is because the issue of water is a major one, and with this solved, a lot of positives will follow. Many people from nearby villages will relocate to Apapa Ogunsola because they now have water.

“The truth is that the other villages surrounding Apapa Ogunsola are also facing the same challenge; residents trek very far to the stream to get water, so I want to tell FAIRACTION that we are ‘Oliver Twist,’ and we will need more of this gesture in other villages.

“I want to specifically thank FAIRACTION Nigeria for the gesture; we are truly grateful. We didn’t believe it at first when their officials came to the community because we felt that it was hard for some people to provide something for others without demanding anything in return. Today, what FAIRACTION is demanding from us is that we take care of the project and use it for a very long time.

“I, however, don’t think that this is a problem because going through what we have suffered in the past, this is a great opportunity to start life afresh; we are already seeing the project as ours, not as a donation and we will maintain it well.”

The Director of FAIRACTION Nigeria, Mr Olayinka Adeoti, stated that the founder of the organisation and CEO of FAIRACTION International in Australia, Dr Samuel Adeoti, experienced water poverty while growing up. This experience fuelled his passion to support communities without access to safe water in Nigeria. The solution they provide is a sustainable one, designed based on over eight years of research and development, and supported by a comprehensive post-construction monitoring system that ensures the infrastructure continues to function for its designated lifespan of over 20 years.

Mr. Olayinka said the organisation had already completed four projects in remote communities in Oyo State facing challenges similar to those of Aba Apapa, with a fifth project underway.

“We are also visiting communities that have invited us to witness firsthand how they are suffering from a lack of water. So far, we have mapped over 1,700 communities, and we will continue to select from these to provide access to safe water for residents. We would like to thank funders such as the Australian High Commission in Abuja and FAIRACTION International for supporting our work, and we invite well-meaning Nigerians to join us in addressing the water poverty affecting millions across the country. We have the solution, and we need the support to scale it,” Mr Adeoti said. 

Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government Area, Mr Temitope Kolapo Glorious, while appreciating FAIRACTION for the support, also commended the state governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, for enabling public-private partnership, which has led to several developmental projects in the state.

The chairman, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Arinola Isiaka, said government cannot do everything and that is why the governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, believes in public-private partnership as it will ensure rapid development of the state.

“This is also the path the council chairman, Dr Temitope Kolapo Glorious, is treading in the local government area.

“It should be noted that such collaboration is not possible in some states, but in Oyo State, the public-private partnership vision of the governor is ensuring faster development of the state, and we need more support like this in the state,” the council chairman’s chief of staff said.

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