The Society for Family Health (SFH) on Saturday inaugurated a motorised borehole in Ikekogbe community, Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, ending years of water scarcity and exposure to waterborne diseases.

The borehole, delivered under the society’s WASH for Healthy Lives project with funding from Procter & Gamble, aims to provide residents with reliable access to clean and safe water.

In his address, Chairman of Esan West Local Government Council, Blessing Ebhodagha, said the project would directly improve public health and living conditions in the community.

“Today, we are not just commissioning a borehole; we are commissioning hope and dignity for our people,” he said.

He emphasised that residents had long relied on unsafe water sources.

“Our people have suffered from typhoid, cholera, and other preventable waterborne diseases due to lack of access to clean water,” he added.

Mr Ebhodagha urged the community to take ownership of the facility and ensure its maintenance.

“This borehole belongs to you. Protect it and sustain it. The cost of maintaining it is far less than the cost of treating diseases from dirty water,” he said.

SFH’s WASH for Healthy Lives coordinator, Nnamdi Anosike, said the organisation introduced the borehole component after discovering that awareness alone could not sustain hygiene practices.

“We found that people reverted to unsafe practices due to lack of access to clean water. That is why we engaged our donor to support the provision of boreholes,” he said.

He added that the project, which started in 2022, has progressed through multiple phases and continues to expand, with Edo remaining a key focus.

A representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr. Bamidele, said the intervention would reduce waterborne diseases and support socio-economic activities.

“This project will enhance the well-being of the people and serve as a model for future collaborations,” he said.

The general manager of the Edo State Small Town and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STRUWASSA), Murtala Okhakumhe, said the project aligned with efforts to ensure universal access to potable water.

“Access to safe water is fundamental to human development. This project reflects what collaboration can achieve,” he said.

A representative of the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ehis Oniyama, said access to clean water remains critical to disease prevention and community health.

“This intervention is an investment in health and will help reduce waterborne diseases in the community,” he said.

Speaking for the community, Sunday Iyare said residents had struggled with water shortages for years, leading to frequent illness.

“This project will bring relief to our people,” he said, pledging that the community would protect the facility.

He, however, called for security support to prevent vandalism and urged authorities and partners to extend similar projects to other affected communities.

(NAN)