ZAMBOANGA CITY - United States (US) Charge d'Affairs Leslie Bassett led local government officials and water utility firm executives in the inauguration of the P19 million joint water supply and sanitation project through the Water Alliance Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Water Alliance Program of USAID aims to provide clean water to communities in need, like the villages of Lumbangan and Lumayang, which are adjacent to each other. The USAID and Rotary Club resources were augmented by technical and engineering resource contribution from the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) and right-of-way acquisition from the local government. ZCWD assistant general manager for operations Alejo Rojas Jr. said the construction of the water system project started last June. Rojas said residents, who previously relied on deep wells, can now have potable water right at their doorstep with the inauguration of the joint water supply and sanitation project of the US government and Rotary Club International.
"Walking long distance to fetch water for drinking, bathing, washing, and cleaning is now a thing of the past for the more than 3,500 residents of two upland barangays of Lumbangan and Lumayang, east of this city," Rojas said. It was learned that the water supply system will also ensure protection from water-borne diseases, like diarrhea, of the residents, especially the children. "Worldwide, lack of access to clean water often leads to diarrhea, the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five.
As a parent, I find it heart-breaking that children should die of a cause that can easily be prevented," Bassett said. As this developed, Bassett also distributed hand-washing kits to selected children of the villages of Lumbangan and Lumayang after the inauguration of the water system project. The distribution of hand-washing kits is part of the project's soft component, which advocates for proper hygiene and sanitation among household members especially among children who are vulnerable to water-borne diseases.
