Skeena from Saghreq village using water-scheme

Sakeena, 36 years old women, a resident of Saghreq village is describing a strange story as follow: 

You may better know that Saghreq village is located in inside high – Rocky Mountains with narrow pathways and almost nil access – road, remain closed in winter for 2 to 3 months. Almost 80% of the Saghreq’s houses are located on the peak points of mountains. Seasonal springs river water are the only sources of water/unsafe-water for our deprived people.  Water fetching is traditionally the house chore of women and girls. Most of those springs are located at mid- high or top of mountains, so women-- having no other alternative-- have to fetch water with hand and on shoulders from those springs and/or existing river.  Water fetching become more awesome and exhausting job, especially in winter when most of these springs are under snow and access paths are almost blocked. As of the village men travel out of village for earning life and family alimony; women and girls are thus, compelled to accomplish the responsibility of taking water from those water sources.  In some cases, girls and women have to travel narrow, sloppy and slippery mountainous terrenes for almost 30 minutes to get access to water sources or unsafe river water. We have many examples when women become disabled during winter water patching in these rocky areas, yet having no safe drinking water. Some families are using melting snow water or use river water which comes as surface run-off ultimately causing numerous diseases.

On the top of water challenge, Saghreq village also heavily suffer from lack of proper sanitation facilities and use of open fields as a toilet near home and near houses and this in turn causes disease spreading. Absence of health clinics nearby further adds to the suffering of Saghreq villagers, who have to take sick children to hospital in capital city “Nilli”, where the cost of medication and transportation is not affordable for them. All the above harsh living conditions results into high mortality rate for children in this village.

For years the villagers could not see any light of hope at the end of tunnel. Luckily this year, CoAR with financial support from NCA started a project to provide access to clean drinking water at doorstep and ensure environmental hygiene for the deprived people of this village. CoAR implement project which was funded by NCA to provide clean water to the villagers. Now the villagers have access to clean drinking water. 

resulting saving remarkably money/time, earlier spent in patient’s treatment at hospital. Village WASH committee established to develop consensus and unity amongst the community for water-scheme maintenance and functionality, through a technical person «Mechanic» trained for this purpose.  

“In addition to have real relief in our lives, we are now feeling like equal human being and feel much dignified”, said Sakeena 36-year-old woman, head of her household.  “COAR/NCA, strange names, but very close to our hearts as this brought new life into our village”, Sakeena added further, with a meaningful smiling.