MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The WASH Legislative Caucus, a group of legislators pushing for improved water, sanitation and hygiene services, has concluded a tour of five counties to assess a joint UNDP-Government of Liberia project with a call for more government budget allocation for continuation of the works.
The Accelerated Community Development Program (ACDP) is a 301 million US dollar matching fund project for rural poor communities and covers water provision, agriculture, health and education in ten counties.
The Liberian Government has agreed to a 100 million US dollar allocation as its contribution to the project and disbursed 3 million US dollars when the project was launched in 2022.
According to the project implementers from the UNDP, 1.5 million US dollars and 692 thousand US dollars allocated for the project in previous budgets were not disbursed.
The project implementers said funding for the project has run out, something that is serving as a hindrance to the extension of the project in counties where they are being implemented, or to also expand to the rest of the five counties.
The WASH Legislative Caucus assessment was to ascertain firsthand the impact and challenges of the project, and lobby with the executive for an increase budgetary allocation as the government’s financing to the project.
Led by the WASH Legislative Caucus Chairman, Grand Bassa County Representative, Thomas Goshua, the assessment tour commenced in Gbarpolu and covered Rivercess, Bong, Nimba and Lofa counties-with a focus on the water provision component of the project.
Also forming part of the assessment tour were staff of the WASH Legislative Caucus Secretariat, headed by Timothy Kpeh, leaders of the ACDP from the UNDP and members of the media.
In Gbarpolu County, the assessment covered the capital Bopolu, and the towns of Totoquelleh and Mardina, where solar-powered water infrastructures worth more than ten thousand US dollars are constructed and serve water to people in the areas.
The assessment of the facilities in Gbarpolu was accompanied by the county Superintendent, Sam Zinnah and was also graced by Senator Botoe Kanneh and a representative from the office of Senator Amara Konneh.
Beneficiaries of the water facilities and the agriculture cooperatives in the county lauded the Liberian Government and the United Nations Development Program for the project and stressed the need for expansion to other parts of the county.
The ACDP has also constructed similar solar-powered water infrastructures in Yarpah Town in River Cess County. The county Senator, Wellington Geevon Smith, who formed part of the assessment, assured of lobbying with his colleagues to ensure funding is made available for the project.
In Bong County, the town of Donfah is benefiting from the water project with a four-thousand-gallon tower and four kiosks. Also in the county, construction is underway in the Sugar Hill Community in Frelela.
The towns of Dou Gorton and Sapea in Nimba County are also benefiting from the ACDP project works. In Duo Gorton, the solar-powered water is nearing completion, while the Doolakeh Multipurpose Cooperative Society has received a boost. The cooperative is expanding its activities after receiving a tracker and $20,000 to construct a warehouse.
In Lofa, the ACDP is supporting a cooperative in Kpayakoleh and has also constructed a water facility for people in the area. Similar water facilities and cooperative support are being implemented in the towns of Kulasu and Kailahun.
According to our reporter, people in areas benefiting from the projects have spoken of the tremendous impact of the developments on their livelihood and stressed the need for more to be done in other areas.
Meanwhile, implementers of the Accelerated Community Development Program have broken ground for a partial renovation of the Tellewoyan Hospital in Voinjama, Lofa County.
As part of the $186,000 work, the hospital’s maternity ward, surgical ward, delivery room, and operating theatre will be renovated.