By Ijoo Bosco
The women of Torit municipal council in South Sudan have welcomed the commissioning and handover of the rehabilitated and expanded water supply system in the state capital.
The project was funded by the German embassy and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with the state government.
The Torit Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Company was established in 2015 with the mandate to provide clean and safe water to the Torit municipality.
Speaking at the commissioning event, the chairperson of the Torit Women’s Group, Clementina Itwari, expressed gratitude to the donors and UNICEF for addressing the burden that women and children have faced in accessing clean water.
“On behalf of all the women, we are saying thank you very much to the founders of this urban water project. You have removed the challenge of water that was causing women to lose sleep searching for it day and night. Now they can rest easy knowing the water is nearby,” said Itwari.
Hamida Lasseko, the UNICEF Country Director, praised the hard work and cooperation of the Torit Urban Water Supply and Sanitation team in delivering the project over the past five years.
She noted that the improved water access will greatly benefit the communities in Torit, including those who have voluntarily returned to the state.
“I saw two young technicians who are working so hard to ensure the water is safe from the pumping stage to consumption. I am happy because I know the women and children in Torit will spend less time fetching water from afar and will now have access to treated, safe water,” said Lasseko.
The German Ambassador, Christina Sedat, stated that the $2 million investment has been well-utilized, with the construction of two boreholes, a 25 cubic meter water supply system, and 25 new water kiosks.
She emphasized that access to clean and safe water is a fundamental human right and essential for development.
“More than 40,000 inhabitants of Torit will now have access to clean water, thanks to the joint effort and German funding. I want to thank the members of the water company for their hard work in ensuring the water is clean and safe for the population,” said Sedat.
The Torit urban water project was implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the Eastern Equatoria State government.