Mike Yanou Foundation prioritises potable water in Mile 16

Officials of the Mike Yanou Foundation, Royalty and Global Medicare Foundation have stated that their campaign for the people of Mile 16 to have potable water will not end until the taps in the area are flowing with water.

Theofficials of the three Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, were speakingin Buea, June 01, during a sensitisation campaignon jointproject with the Buea Council dubbed “Water, Sanitation and hygiene, WASH.

According to the Project President, Mathias Elumpe Ebah, the project will go a long way to provide the people of Mile 16 and beyond with potable water.

“We intend to extend the water to so many communities and this endeavour is not only going to end within the three NGOs. We intend to make contacts with both national and international bodies that have the same vision like us,” the President said.

Explaining the project to The Post, Ryan Lion, a Medical student on internship from California working with the Global Medicare Foundation, said the objective of the project was to analyseand explore how people use water in Mile 16 and the outcome particularly in the area of diseases like Malaria, typhoid and skin infections.

“We wanted to find out what the people of this community want to see change as far as water is concern. We realised that people in this community use different sources of water like streams both for bathing and domestic purposes”, he said.

The results showed that “over 41percentof the Mile16 population has been infected with skin rashes for the past three month and 33percentwith diarrhoea, as a result ofunclean water.”

Asked why he decided to partner with Mike Yanou Foundation and Royalty, he said they both have a similar focus and goal which is health, and also share the same passion towards water.

Quizzed on whether the project is only going to end at the level of Mile 16, he said, “it’s just beginning, it is not going to end, we have just started by raising awareness,” Ryan reiterated.

According to Doris Ngum of Royalty, the WASH Project is just a stepping stone for further projects in communities around Buea and Cameroon at large. “We decided to work with the youths because if they can develop the same zeal, they will be able to impact other communities. We are looking at the nation, we are not just focusing on Mile16,” she remarked.

Louis Sheteh, Youth President of the WASH Projectsaid they have25 youths, but only 15 are active. To him, the project is a way of bringing transformation both at the personal and community level. He called on other youths to join them in the venture. “When youths are involved, we are sure to have a changed community.”