Due to the lack of drinking water suffered by the population of Ngomo hill, Giteranyi commune in Muyinga province, they are forced to resort to water drawn from Lake Rweru. This alternative is not without harmful consequences on the health of this population who also suffer from the lack of the nearest public health structure.
Lake Rweru is not only a fishing ground for the people of Ngomo, it is their only source of water.
The population of Ngomo hill, in the Giteranyi commune in the Muyinga province, suffers from a lack of drinking water. As the inhabitants of this locality tell us, this problem is not new. “Since my childhood, we have been using water drawn from the Rweru River,” says Joselyne Manirambona, a resident of this hill.
According to this mother of three children, Lake Rweru is not only a fishing spot for the population of this locality, it is their only source of water. “We draw from Lake Rweru, water to do laundry, water to prepare meals, water to drink… for any activity requiring the use of water, we use this lake,” she says.
To get tap water, they are forced to travel miles and miles. According to this resident of Ngomo, to get to Mabumba where there is a tap, those who ride their bikes take two hours. Pedestrians walk three hours to go and return home. A trouble that this population does not often take. “Imagine someone who is forced to walk 6 hours a day to fetch a single 20-litre can of drinking water. At what time would he do other household chores? This means that we make do with water from the Rweru even though we are aware that the water from the lake is not drinkable at all,” she says.
A situation which is not without harmful consequences for their health.
Even if this water is used in this way, this population is worried about its cleanliness and its impact on their health. “We throw fish remains in it, this river is an arsenal of all the filth from the surrounding areas…”, deplores Manirambona.
As Manirambona says, this situation has a negative impact on the population of this locality, especially children under 5 years old. “In this locality, the most recurring diseases are those of dirty hands such as diarrhea and vomiting especially in children under 5 years old, which is undoubtedly a consequence of the use of this water from Lake Rweru,” she says.
In addition to this lack of water, this locality also suffers from the lack of health structures. According to the people we met, a health center near this locality is a private health center. It is not accessible to everyone due to the inability to pay the costs of health care. She is asking for the construction of a public health center.
The public health center near this locality is located in Masaka, several kilometers from Ngomo. According to this population, to get there the ticket is 7000 FBu for those who travel by motorbike (round trip).
And if we go on foot, it is more than 3 hours of walking. It is a long journey to save a person’s life. “Walking for 3 hours when you are already sick can make the disease worse. This is also the daily lot of the inhabitants. May the benefactors come to our aid,” asks Manirambona.
Mrs. Floride Nduwayezu, administrator of the commune of Giteranyi mentioned that the problem of insufficient drinking water and that of public health structures constitute a major challenge in this commune. She launches a vibrant appeal to the various development partners to support this commune in these key sectors of the life of the population.
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