Charity Completes Water Pumps-Effort Leans Heavily On Diaspora Funding

MONROVIA – Clean water has reached hundreds of remote Liberian villages through a charity built largely on diaspora generosity. Friends of Liberia Food and Water has announced the completion of 400 modern hand pumps. Most stand in hard-to-reach towns where safe drinking water had long been scarce. The organization frames the work as a public-health intervention against water-borne disease. Its reach now spans 14 of Liberia’s 15 counties, with fresh requests pouring in. Yet the effort still leans heavily on foreign fundraising and volunteer drilling teams. Officials say that modest government subsidies could stretch the program much further. The push exposes both the promise and the fragility of privately financed rural development. THE ANALYST reports.

Friends of Liberia Food and Water Incorporated, a local nonprofit organization, announced the completion of 400 modern hand pumps across the country. It said most were built in hard-to-reach villages and towns where residents struggled to find safe drinking water.

The organization said the initiative aims to promote health and hygiene and reduce the spread of water-borne illnesses. It said the pumps now serve communities that had long gone without reliable clean water.

Fourteen Counties Reached

Speaking at a program marking the milestone, Rev. Oliver Adams, Vice President of the organization, said 14 of Liberia’s 15 counties had benefited. He said the office was now overwhelmed with requests from other parts of the country.

Adams commended the group’s president, George Wisner, widely known as “Mr. GoodWaterMan,” along with donors and supporters. He singled out the fundraiser identified as J. Dafin for his contribution.

Jobs And Rice

Adams said the project had created 18 jobs for Liberians on its drilling team and agriculture program. He said the work extended beyond water into local food production.

The organization also operates a modern rice-production factory in Gbatala, Bong County. Officials said the plant processes locally grown rice for the domestic market.

Communities Appeal

A local government representative, Yassah Karmo of the National Council of Chiefs Support Office, praised the group’s role in preventing water-borne disease. She urged communities to maintain the pumps properly.

Meanwhile, residents of the Advent Hill Community in Schifflen Town, Margibi County, appealed for inclusion in the next phase. Speaking for the residents, Marlon Johnson said the community of more than 5,000 people struggles for water daily.

Call For Subsidies

The fundraiser identified as J. Dafin, based in the United States, pledged to keep supporting Liberia and to expand clean-water access in future. He said he and his colleagues hoped to reach more of the country.

In a telephone interview, Wisner said government subsidies would allow the group to build more pumps and support other projects. He said subsidizing local farmers and fuel costs could lower prices and widen the market.