The Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC) through the Baptist Child Development Programme has provided potable drinking water to the Kasuliyili community in the Tolon district of the Northern region.

The project, which was implemented at the cost of $90,000 would benefit over 4,200 people indirectly.

The source of water for the Kasuliyili community was an innovation where water was being pumped and filtered from a dam using solar energy to ensure that the entire community gets potable drinking water for domestic use.

Mr Jim Carie, Vice President, Global Operations of the CCFC, who was addressing a gathering during the commissioning of the water project on Thursday, said it was part of services to humanity to ensure that everyone got potable drinking water.

He said the NGO has made the provision of water as part of its core programmes to support communities and families to pursue their dreams, noting that, 167 rain water harvesting tanks, 26 dugouts and 12 dugout dams have so far been provided by the CCFC.

He indicated that children in the community were often infected by waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever and bilhazia, among others, which affects their educational performances hence the intervention.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna, Northern Regional Minister in a speech read for him expressed gratitude to the CCFC and its partners for the support and called for a collective effort at meeting the MDGs.

He noted that the provision of potable water to the community would make it easier for teachers and nurses to accept postings to the area to improve the educational and health status of the people and reduce the long distances children had to walk to school.

Reverend Thomas Sayibu Imoro, Programme Leader of the Baptist Child Development Programme said the project would increase the use of clean water for drinking and food preparation and awareness of good hygiene practices by children and families in the Kasuliyili community.

He urged members of the community to improve their participation in the ownership and maintenance of the facilities through community sensitization, mobilization, training in water maintenance and hygiene to ensure its sustainability.