Improved clean water supply system, a source of peace in Keilak
"Now there is hope, and we can see a future for our children and community,"
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Aziza Khamis, a mother of four in Keilak town, epitomizes hundreds of women, girls, and households caught in communal clashes between nomads and resident communities over access to clean water in the West Kordofan State in Sudan.
The problems with access to clean water in Keilak town started when the nomads sought to use the water facility for their cattle resulting in clashes between the two communities.
With 39 per cent (Simple Spatial Survey Method (S3M, 2018) of households without access to improved sources of drinking water within 30 minutes of their homes in the West Kordofan State, conflicts ensuing from accessing clean water impact community cohesion, livelihoods, wellbeing, and the use of other services, including health and education.
Moreover, the long-term effects on communities, especially children's inequitable access to clean water, health, and education, have implications on child wellbeing, particularly in conflict-prone communities.
"Sometimes we cannot fetch water from the water yard in Keilak because of the fighting between the nomads and our men over access to the water facility," said Aziza.
"Sometimes, my household drank from unprotected water sources to avoid the queues, fights, and long waiting times at the water yard," she shared.
For Aziza, access and availability of clean water in households has everything to do with the wellbeing and future of her children and community. "Sometimes, I wonder what the future holds for my children as the time they were supposed to be in school was spent looking for clean water for drinking and household use," she said. In addition, the situation at the water point was worsened by long queues and fights as men, women, and children battled their way to the front to gain easy access to the water point.
"Sometimes, my household drank from unprotected water sources to avoid the queues, fights, and long waiting times at the water yard," she shared.
In 2021, the water point was rehabilitated and solar powered. The intervention is one of twenty-four water points rehabilitated and constructed through the 'Humanitarian Development Nexus: Building Resilient Communities in West Kordofan' (BRICK) project supported by UNICEF and its partners with funding from the European Union.
The rehabilitation work took account of the bottlenecks faced by the Keilak community in accessing clean water and created separate access points at the water facility for humans and livestock.
"Now there is hope, and we can see a future for our children and community," Aziza said confidently, referring to the rehabilitated water facility.
"Now there is hope, and we can see a future for our children and community," Aziza said confidently, referring to the rehabilitated water facility.
Aziza expressed gratitude to UNICEF and its partners for ensuring her household and community drink clean water in peace and harmony with their neighbors. "We give Allah praise for all things,” Aziza is happy that the community now has peace because there is no more fighting or use of foul language at the improved water facility.
"If I want to see and chat with my friends, I go to the water yard," says Aziza. The proper management of the water facility has transformed its outlook from conflict, fighting, and obscenity to peace, co-existence, love, and socializing. Aziza has also started small foodstuff business in the vicinity of the water yard; "…business is good, and I have lots of people buying my foodstuff," she said.
With improved access to clean water, Aziza can spend more time on her income-generating activities, raising her household's income, supporting her children's regular attendance at school, and covering the cost of their medical bills. "When I prepare my food for sale, I take it to the water yard to sell. I am so happy because I can quickly sell my food items at the water yard, "she said.
As a member of the Keilak water users' committee and with support from UNICEF and its partners, Aziza received training to effectively manage the rehabilitated water facility. As a result, Aziza and other committee members now ensure that conflict-related issues at the water facility are addressed and that the water point is cleaned and adequately maintained. Due to all these efforts, the water point is now a place of peace and a gathering point, particularly for women and children who come around for socializing purposes.
"It all seems like a dream," she said. "I seem to have everything I need, with adequate clean water in my home. Now I can focus on my petty trading. I thank God for this because it allows me to provide for my children's basic needs, such as health, nutrition, and education," Aziza concludes.
