Safe Drinking Water for 15000 Villagers in Fundong

During the last period Better Family Foundation carried out many activities. Amongst these activities carried out is the financial assistance of eighty thousand francs given to Fundong village for the rehabilitation of their water storage tank. The tank started leaking some years after construction due to poor construction.

Due to the socio-political crisis in the English speaking regions of Cameroon, the village development association which used to care and ensure the maintenance of the water scheme has stopped it's activities because many persons in the leadership position who used to managed the association had escaped from the village.

Realizing that the tank was leaking, the water caretaker, reported the situation to the traditional village authority who requested for assistance from Better Family Foundation.  The management of Better Family Foundation disbursed the sum of eighty thousand francs to be used for the acquisition of materials and labour. All this money was from the funds received from GlobalGiving.

The rehabilitation work took three days and was effectively carried out. Better Family Foundation Management is thankful to all the donors of this program domain for helping the underprivileged communities to be able to have safe clean drinking water.

During the last period the Management of Better Family Foundation (BFF) was invited to solve a conflict between the Water Management Committee of Fundong-Mentang-Ngwainkuma and Bainjong Water Management Committee and its caretaker. 

The caretaker of this water scheme has not been given his monthly renumeration for about four years due to the deepening Anglophone socio-political crisis in the area in Cameroon. As a consequence, the caretaker recently refused to do his maintenance work on the pipeline and the whole water scheme was affected by leakages leading to water shortages and doubtful quality of water in these communities.

The Water Management Committee unable to handle the situation, invited the Management of Better Family Foundation to help intervene and solve the problem. BFF authority, invited all the stakeholders and held a crisis meeting and the issue was resolved. The communities decided to borrow some money from a microfinance organization in order to regularise the renumeration situation of the caretaker. The caretaker was then satisfied and decided to go back to work. BFF on its part helped to pay the transportation of all the invited delegates to the meeting.

The Management of Better Family Foundation remains grateful to all our donors for their moral, financial and material support for the sustainability of the program unit. We are equally grateful to GlobalGiving for the wonderful role they are playing to link Better Family Foundation to it's donors.

During this period Better Family Foundation (BFF) resumed work on the Atu-abuh water project. During this phase of the project, four stand taps were constructed and connected to the main pipeline. This was done under very tight security due to the socio-political situation that prevails in this community.

The Fundong Municipal Council assisted with some pipes, transportation of materials and provision of security to the workers. GlobalGiving funds collected were used in the extension of the project. Although, the work started up well, it didn't go for long before it was again suspended due to continuous road blocks linking Fundong to Bamenda. This road blocks have made the supply of materials very difficult and expensive.

The villagers of this community showed exceptional concern in doing their own tasks of the project especially as they had thought that the whole project has been suspended due to the way the workers were earlier molested due to the crisis. Though the work has been temporary suspended, it will resume the moment, the road blocks are uplighted and movement of materials made easier.

The village authority and Better Family Foundation Management remain thankful to all the donors who have contributed in anyway to ensure the success of this project admist the turbulent socio-political situation.

During this period Better Family Foundation (BFF) Management decided to organize a one day training on effective management of water in order to ensure its hygiene and sanitation.  This measure was to promote the global concerns towards the prevention of COV-19. At this time that water is vital for drinking and frequent hand washing, there is need to ensure that the water is taken care of so that it remains clean and safe for human health.

To realize this objective, Better Family Foundation invited the leaders of the various water management committes in and around Fundong and trained them on how they need to effectively manage their water schemes. It should be noted that most of the water schemes had been abandoned due to deepening sociopolitical crisis that have affected this region of the country.

In all eleven (11) communities were represented during the training session. By the end of the training, these water scheme Leaders were expected to return to their communities and train the various water management committes members. The sum of thirty seven thousand francs CFA (37000) was used for the organization of the training. The Management of Better Family Foundation sincerely appreciates all those who contributed in anyway possible towards the realization of this objective.

Better Family Foundation is sorry to be making this report later than expected due to some unavoidable circumstances beyond the control of the Management. During the last period the staff of Better Family Foundation visited the Ngwainkuma and Alim/Boyui communities and sensitized the community members to keep the surroundings of all stand taps clean. 

The Management of Better Family Foundation took this initiative after realizing that most stand taps in these communities as well as others have been abandoned untidy due to the socio-political crisis that have affected this communities. Realizing that there was some precarious calm prevailing in the area, the management went down to the field to encourage the community members to clean the stand taps environments in order to ensure safety and clean water.

In order to realize this objective, the staff were divided into two teams and the excercise was carried out on the same day and time. The community members who had not been displaced due to the socio-political crisis came out and in less than two hours all the stand taps in both communities were cleaned. This initiative was communicated to the community members through the village heads who used their town cryers.

The Management of Better Family Foundation used money only to transport its staff to the field during this activity. We thank all those supporting this program in a special way.