In the quiet rural town of Swenta, Bong County Electoral District #1, over 500 residents are enduring a daily struggle for one of life’s most basic necessities, clean drinking water.
With their two hand pumps broken and no other reliable source available, the community is left to draw water from an open pit, teeming with contamination risks.
“This is not just a crisis, it’s a threat to our lives,” said Town Chief Emmanuel Zaryee, who has raised repeated alarms over the dangerous conditions. “We’re forced to drink from a creek that everyone knows is unsafe. But we have no other choice.”
Residents report frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, particularly among vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
The open pit and nearby creek, both unprotected and untreated, have become the town’s last resort after the breakdown of its only two functional hand pumps several months ago.
Efforts to get the pumps repaired have so far gone unanswered, despite appeals to local authorities and humanitarian organizations. In the meantime, women and children make long, exhausting treks to fetch water from the creek, putting their health and safety at further risk and cutting into time children could be spending in school.
“This situation is heartbreaking,” a mother of four told our reporter. “We are suffering, and our children are getting sick. We don’t know what else to do.”
The lack of safe water has also made it nearly impossible for the town to maintain basic hygiene, especially during the dry season when water sources shrink.
The resulting sanitation issues create conditions ripe for the spread of illness, further burdening a community already stretched to its limits.
Health experts and development advocates are now urging swift intervention, calling for immediate repairs to the hand pumps and the implementation of long-term solutions such as boreholes or water purification systems.
“Without prompt and decisive action, the health and well-being of Swenta’s population remain at serious risk,” one expert warned.
Chief Zaryee echoed this call for help: “Only through collaborative efforts can we safeguard the future of Swenta. We need support—urgently. Our lives depend on it.”
The people of Swenta hope their voices will reach those with the power to make a difference.
