Coca-Cola, Plan Int’l hand over water facilities in rural Liberia

Plan International, in partnership with Coca-Cola, has handed over the Improving Access to Potable Water and Adequate Sanitation in Health Facilities in Rural Liberia project that provides access to clean water and adequate sanitation to over 1,700 individuals.

The project promotes good sanitation and hygiene practices across four health facilities in the Salayea, Vezala, Sarkonedu, and Popolahun communities of Lofa County. By updating water and sanitation infrastructure, the project will significantly improve health services to the communities, as well as adjacent areas.

The Improving Access to Potable Water and Adequate Sanitation in Health Facilities in Rural Liberia project is funded under Coca-Cola’s Bolstering Africa’s Resilience (BAR) and Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) programs which, respectively, are designed to create a holistic unified response to Ebola in Liberia, and provide over six million Africans with access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2020.

The project activities included the construction of four drilled wells powered by submersible pumps along with the provision and installation of a solar grid system, including back up batteries.

Water reservoirs and supply lines were installed to provide constant potable water to the health facilities, including hand washing basins in delivery and emergency rooms.
The project also rehabilitated existing sanitation facilities which will in turn drive their increased and safe use by community members.

Tarnue Karbbar, Senior Grants Project Manager at Plan International Liberia, explained as he handed over the project to the communities that it is important for the communities and administrators of these health clinics to ensure proper management and maintenance of the facilities.

Before the project, the health facilities in the four communities did not have a constant water supply which made deliveries for pregnant women difficult and unsanitary, said Francis Dunor, an official representative for the Superintendent of Lofa County.

He explained that through the project, there is now access to safe water in the health facilities and community members are trained to maintain the water systems. Dunor remarked, “It is with great happiness that the Office of the Superintendent of Lofa County extends thanks to Coca-Cola and Plan International for supplementing the government’s efforts in ensuring our health facilities in these four communities now have access to water today.”