The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday handed over a solar-powered water plant that will provide safe and clean drinking water to 45,000 residents of Yambio to the Western Equatoria State government.
The solar water project funded by the government of Germany through the Development Bank KFW aims to improve access to safe drinking water. It comprises 5 boreholes, 31 water kiosks, and 40 kilometers of water pipes with a storage capacity of 250,000 liters.
The project constructed by Tekivision General Trading Co. Ltd. started on 11 December 2021 and was completed on 31 May 2023 at the cost of USD 1.8 million.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Yambio on Thursday, Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF’s representative in South Sudan, thanked all responsible for making the project a success.
“Let us give a big clap to all those who did the great work until we reached today when we can hand over this project which guarantees sustainable and safe water to about 45,000 people here in Yambio,” she said. “Big congratulations to everybody who was involved.”
She also expressed her gratefulness to the German Government for their support and investment in what she described as “vital infrastructure.”
For his part, Bjoern Niere, the German Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in South Sudan, said the solar-powered water system was made possible by the 2.38 million Euro contributed by Germany.
“Today we celebrate the handing over of this impressive water supply infrastructure in Yambio to Yambio Urban Water and Sanitation Company (YUWASCO). It was made possible by 2.3 million Euro contributions from Germany Development Cooperation via KFW Development Bank and through UNICEF,” he said. “This project shows Germany takes its responsibility as one of the biggest donors to South Sudan very seriously.”
Meanwhile, Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the governor of Western Equatoria State, hailed UNICEF and the German Embassy for providing clean drinking water to the population.
“Please extend the water pipe to the church area so that they can have access to clean drinking water because the church has a big population,” said Futuyo.
Peter Mahal Dhieu, the undersecretary at the National Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, described the water supply infrastructure as vital.
“It is important that people have progress,” he said. “South Sudan will not remain where it was, it has to start here with the people for advancement.”
The solar-powered system pumps approximately 39,000 liters per hour, guaranteeing the population a regular supply of clean water.
The utility charges SSP 25 per 20-liter jerry can of water.