By J. Emmanuel Deshield Sr.
WEE DISTRICT, GRAND BASSA COUNTY – More than 50 residents of Paygar’s Town in Wee District, Grand Bassa County, are calling for urgent intervention as they continue to rely on an unprotected creek as their only source of drinking water.
With no hand pump or protected well in the community, families make daily trips to a nearby creek to fetch water for drinking, cooking, washing, and other household needs. Residents say they are aware of the health risks associated with consuming untreated water but have no alternative.
Women and children shoulder much of the burden, walking several minutes each day with buckets and containers to collect water for their households.
“We drink because we have no choice,” one resident said, describing the community’s daily struggle.
The continued dependence on the creek has heightened fears of waterborne diseases and other sanitation-related illnesses, leaving residents vulnerable to preventable health risks.
Community members are appealing to the Government of Liberia, Grand Bassa County authorities, humanitarian organizations, development partners, corporate institutions, and well-meaning individuals to help provide a hand pump or another reliable source of safe drinking water.
Residents say access to clean water is not a privilege but a basic human necessity that would improve public health, reduce hardship, and restore dignity to families who have spent years without a safe and dependable water source.
As they wait for help, the people of Paygar’s Town remain hopeful that their appeal will inspire swift action to end a crisis that continues to threaten their health and livelihoods.
