By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Residents of Awuja agrarian settlement in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have celebrated the inauguration of a solar-powered borehole aimed at improving access to potable water.
The project, delivered by the Rotary Club of Umuahia (District 9142) in partnership with the Sisters of St Joseph of Orange, United States, was inaugurated last Wednesday by District Governor, Kelechi Anyanwu.
The intervention is expected to end years of water scarcity in the community, where residents previously relied on a distant stream, exposing them to health risks and physical strain.
Speaking at the event, the traditional ruler of Eluoma Uzuakoli Autonomous Community, Eze Okezie Chijioke, described the project as transformative, noting that access to clean water would improve public health and reduce rural-urban migration.
The women leader, Mrs Christiana Okechukwu, said residents—especially women—had long endured injuries and illness while fetching water from difficult terrain.
In his remarks, the Awuja Community Leader, Chief Luke Kalu, expressed gratitude to the donors, describing the project as beyond the community’s financial capacity. He, however, appealed for further support in road infrastructure, electricity, and sanitation.
A resident, Mr John Ani, said the borehole marked a historic turning point for the settlement and would benefit future generations.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Service Project Committee, Rotarian Grace Okaro, said the community was first identified in 2014 during an outreach campaign and had since benefited from sustained Rotary interventions.
She noted that the borehole project was made possible through a grant secured from the partner organisation after years of engagement.
The President of the Rotary Club of Umuahia, Rotarian Ifeoma Kelenna Obonna, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to continued community development initiatives.
