Margibi County, Liberia: Watering Seeds of Change
How much difference can a filter make? For the residents of Margibi County, Liberia, a new safe water filter means safety – for their health, their community, and especially their children.
At the beginning of July 2024, our friends from Church 365 distributed 20 filters to struggling communities in Margibi County during a medical mission trip. Families in the commuities of Fendell, throughout the communities of Fendell, Caldwell and Monrovia now have a reliable, sustainable way to keep themselves safe from waterborne diseases.
Thanks to the lack of water infrastructure in the area, waterborne diseases have are a daily risk for Margibi residents. During an assessment we conducted in the nearby community of Zamah Village, residents identified water insecurity as the biggest problem their community faced. Families were relying on nearby creeks and ponds for their daily water. Many children make as many as five trips each day to collect enough water for their families. And since local water sources are unprotected, the community is vulnerable to waterborne diseases – especially its children. During the initial assessment, parents explained that many children suffered from diarrhoeal diseases and skin problems from exposure to the community’s water.
The situation in Margibi is dire, but not at all uncommon in Liberia. After the civil war ended in 2003, much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed. Since then, outbreaks of cholera and Ebola have hindered the country’s recovery. The lack of water infrastructure has forced many rural communities to rely on unprotected water sources, increasing their vulnerability to waterborne diseases.
In addition, the country is close to coastal waters, leaving it extremely vulnerable to climate change. In communities without safe running water, shifting weather patterns leave local water sources – and the people who rely on them – even more vulnerable to contamination.
H2O4ALL will return to Liberia to install a complete safe water system in Zamah Village, including a borehole and new solar panel system. This safe water system will benefit thousands of people in Zamah and the neighboring communities. For now, our safe water filters provide the protection that Margibi families have needed for a long time.Â
