The Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Pankshin in Plateau State has donated three solar-powered boreholes to Tillengpat and Bungha Communities of Mangu Local Government Area of the state.

Bishop Michael Gokum of the diocese inaugurated the facilities and handed them over to the communities on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, Mr Gokum said that the project is in collaboration with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and funded by the Isle of the Man Government.

He said that the gesture aimed at alleviating the hardship residents of the communities go through while searching for potable water.

“For many years, our people in Tillengpat and Bungha have lived with the daily burden of unsafe and unreliable water.

“Mothers and children walked long distances in search of water; families faced illnesses caused by contaminated sources, livelihoods were disrupted and sometimes, tension arose in these communities due to water scarcity.

“But today, with these boreholes, we are witnessing a turning point, because clean water will now flow in our homes.

“Children can now spend more time in school, families can enjoy better health, and our communities can grow stronger in peace and harmony,” he said.

Mr Gokum said that the project was about restoring dignity, promoting sanitation, environmental protection and addressing the spread of communicable diseases. 

The bishop, who insisted that both Christians and Muslims would benefit from the facilities, said that the Catholic Church doesn’t discriminate while providing humanitarian support.

He thanked the Isle of the Man Government and CAFOD for the generosity, adding that the gesture would transform lives and build a community where peace and justice shall reign.

Earlier, Uko Ukut, the country representative of CAFOD, thanked the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England for granting them the approval to support JDPC in the projects.

Mr Ukut, who promised to sustain collaboration with Pankshin diocese in the future, said the water project aimed at ensuring better days for beneficiaries.

Also speaking, Rev. Fr. Basil Kassam, the coordinator of JDPC in the diocese, said that each of the facilities has 20,000 storage capacity.

Mr Kassam, who called on the communities to take ownership of the projects, said that the JDPC had also constituted and trained some residents of the communities as water users committee to maintain the facilities.

Speaking on behalf of the communities, the district head of Bungha, Da John Danladi, thanked the donors for the gesture.

He promised that the facilities would be put to good use, particularly in ensuring the availability of clean water.

(NAN)