By Nukanah Kollie
SWENTA, BONG COUNTY – In the early morning light, a haunting routine unfolds in Swenta, a small farming community in Bong Electoral District #1. Barefoot women and children make their way to the banks of a muddy, shallow stream, their hands clutching old jerry cans, plastic tubs and cracked plastic buckets. The water they collect is thick, murky, and polluted littered with rotting vegetation, trash, and dense brown silt.
Some children kneel to scoop the tainted water into small containers, while others sit quietly beside their empty tubs, awaiting the arduous walk back home. Older girls lean over the water’s edge, filling their buckets with practiced precision before hoisting them onto their heads. This stagnant, animal-tainted stream surrounded by refuse is Swenta’s only water source.
For nearly a year, more than 500 residents including elderly individuals, people with disabilities, children, and subsistence farmers have depended solely on this contaminated stream for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Their plight began when the community’s only hand pump broke down 11 months ago. Despite repeated pleas to local authorities and humanitarian groups, no repairs have been made. With the dry season worsening, the risk of disease is growing into a major public health emergency.
“We are suffering too much,” lamented Town Chief Emmanuel Zaryee from his home, gesturing toward the broken pump that once supplied the town with safe water. “We have informed the authorities many times, but nothing has changed. Our women and children are getting sick. We need help urgently.”
The health implications are alarming. Residents have reported a wave of illnesses, especially among vulnerable groups. Mothers like Gormah Mulbah, Korto Flomo, and Mary Togbah recounted how their children are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
“Our children constantly have running stomach,” said Gormah, a mother of five. “Sometimes they vomit, get fever, and are too weak to even attend school.”
Mary Togbah added, “Their stomachs always hurt from the water, but we don’t have any other choice.”
Local community health volunteers confirm a surge in diarrhea, typhoid fever, skin rashes, and malaria all exacerbated by exposure to the creek’s stagnant and dirty water. Reports indicate a rise in cases of acute dehydration among children, largely due to prolonged diarrhea.
Swenta’s crisis reflects a broader challenge across Liberia. In rural regions such as Bong County, roughly half the population lacks access to safe drinking water, according to national health figures. A 2023 Ministry of Health report noted that more than 38% of outpatient cases in rural clinics stemmed from waterborne diseases, underscoring the life-threatening consequences of contaminated water sources.
Despite some progress in recent years with support from organizations like WaterAid, UNICEF, and the Liberia WASH Consortiumissues of funding, infrastructure decay, and poor maintenance continue to undermine water access. The WASH Commission, created in 2017 to lead efforts in improving water, sanitation, and hygiene, has struggled to implement sustainable solutions, especially in remote areas.
Swenta’s broken pump is just one example of a broader system failure. Once-operational projects are frequently left to decay due to mechanical issues and lack of local maintenance.
The people of Swenta are renewing their urgent appeal for assistance from both the Liberian government and humanitarian organizations.
“We are calling on President Joseph Boakai’s administration, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation,” said Chief Zaryee. “Please come to our aid before we begin to lose lives.”
Residents are also urging their elected officials including District #1 Representative Prince Koinah, Senators Johnny K. Kpehe, Prince K. Moye, and Bong County leadership — to respond to their suffering and push for action.
Beyond restoring the broken hand pump, residents want long-term solutions: the installation of new boreholes, the development of regular maintenance programs, and water treatment systems that can withstand seasonal droughts and ensure access for future generations.
In a country still recovering from past public health crises like the Ebola epidemic, clean water must be treated as a critical, life-saving necessity-not a privilege.
The residents of Swenta have waited long enough. As their children and women return daily from the contaminated creek, balancing buckets filled with disease-ridden water, their message to leaders is urgent and unmistakable: They need clean water. They need action. And they need it now.
