Gladys, a beneficiary of the recently inaugurated Torit Water Supply System, collects water at a kiosk in the Malakia Area of Torit on July 22, 2024. - Photo by Yar Ajak/Eye Radio

In the arid expanse of Torit County, Eastern Equatoria, a new chapter has begun for thousands of residents.

The once daunting and tedious trek to fetch water from the distant Kineti River has been transformed into a journey of hope and relief, thanks to a groundbreaking UNICEF and Germany water supply project.

For years, the people of Torit endured a daily struggle for something as basic as water.

Along the streets of Torit town, a 23-year-old man is seen carrying around 7 jerricans of water on a bicycle, supplying water to his customers.

Agustine Penantonic has been a water supplier for about 3 years.

He buys 7 jerricans of water at 500 SSP and potentially sells them for 1500 SSP, giving him a 1000 SSP profit per trip.

Augustine says he is benefiting from the water business as the water point is now near his area, allowing him to earn some profit.

In comparison, he notes that he gets more customers because the water is now clean, and he supplies across all areas depending on his customers’ needs.

Approximately, the young man takes about 10-15 trips in a day carrying water on a bicycle.

Augustine shares his experience in the business:

“When you have a lot of customers, you get some [money] to feed your family and use what you have. That water for sure is a good job when you have a mentality of working,” said Augustine.

Anna Abau Abahala, a 20-year-old senior four student at Airport View Senior Secondary School, is from Ifuanyak.

She vividly recalls the exhausting turmoil she and her family faced. Reflecting on her experience, Anna is filled with memories of struggles having to move kilometres away from her home to fetch water at the Memorial Borehole at Dr John Garang Memorial School, which she says sometimes spoils and was not sufficient for them.

In a day, Anna and her family of 15 members need at least 24 jerricans of water for domestic use—12 jerricans in the morning and 12 jerricans in the evening.

According to Anna, when the borehole gets spoilt, they are forced to stay with only one jerrican of water due to the high demand and low supply at the Memorial Borehole among the residents or walk kilometres to Kineti River to fetch water.

This, she says, made their lives difficult and sometimes delayed their arrival at school. Speaking to Eye Radio from Torit, the young girl expresses gratitude to Germany and UNICEF for rescuing them from the years of grappling with fetching water from a long distance for domestic use.

“This water has improved our lives. In the past, as one of the people from Ifuanyuak who was suffering a lot, we had an extended family where nine of us were schooling,” Anna said.

“When I try to compare this life with the past, we find that we used to go to school late due to water. But due to this provision of water, we have a kiosk near us where we can fetch water in less time, and we manage to go to school,” she said.

“I would like to say that without water, there is no life. This water has helped us a lot in washing uniforms and doing domestic work at home. It has changed our lives.”

In South Sudan, only 41% of the population has access to clean and safe drinking water, according to UNICEF.

This often leads to people consuming contaminated water from the river, which frequently results in waterborne diseases such as cholera and other diarrheal diseases, leading to deaths.

In 2014, more than 100 people died due to a cholera outbreak in Eastern Equatoria State, with most cases reported in Torit.

Consequently, another outbreak occurred in 2018, which led to the death of several people in the state.

Following this, according to the Deputy Governor of the state, Mary Nadio Lodira, discussions on the formation of water facilities supported by the German government in collaboration with UNICEF began.

Mary Nadio is grateful to the donors for responding to the crisis.

“I want to first thank the government of Germany for responding to the crisis that happened in 2018. It was the cholera crisis that killed a lot of people that generated the facility we are seeing now,” Mary said.

“I want to thank UNICEF for putting a hand and trusting the German embassy to deliver services to the people here,” she said.

Gladys Faida Joseph, a form four leaver from Father Satulino Secondary School, hails the water project as it has eased her life.

The 18-year-old, from a family of five living in the Malakia Residential Area in Torit, says the water is clean and good for drinking.

Comparing it to water from the Kineti River, Faida says the water has made it easier for her and her family to get affordable and clean drinking water.

Previously, Faida walked kilometres to Kineti to fetch water for her family; however, the distance is much closer now, and the water is more affordable.

“The water is good because we are benefiting from it. For example, in Kineti, the water is dirty. We cannot fetch water from there to drink,” Faida said.

“We come to this water you provided for us, and we get it easily and drink it, wash clothes, and do other things,” he said.

“People are many, and some communities cannot afford to buy such water because there is no money.”

Asha Micki Hassan, a 30-year-old single mother of five children, operates a small restaurant business in the Malakia area, west of Torit.

Having started her business more than 10 years ago, Asha used to get water for running her business from Kineti, which she says was dirty and costly as she had to buy water treatment.

Before inflation, Micki would get a tank of water from Kineti River, which cost her roughly 1000 SSP including treatment.

With the current market inflation, a tank now costs around 2000 SSP.

However, with the new water point next to her business, Asha spends only 600 SSP per tank, and on a good business day, she spends 1200 SSP for two tanks, which is around 24 jerricans each costing 50 SSP.

Asha is now happy and grateful for the help.

“I used to bring water from the river, which was very dirty. I used to buy water treatment to add to it. It was far, and one had to carry it on their head,” Asha said.

“The water was also very expensive. Things have changed; I used to get water at 1000 SSP, but now it’s 2000 SSP and dirty. But now, the water is near me, it’s clean and very nice,” she said.

“I don’t need to add water treatment anymore, and the water point is now near my workplace.”

The rehabilitation and expansion work began in November 2022 with the upgrade of the water treatment plant.

In 2023, the second phase restored the water supply and installed solar panels, generators, and tanks.

The initiative has added 25 new water kiosks to the existing eight, significantly reducing the distance residents need to travel to access water.

The project includes two new boreholes equipped with solar-powered submersible pumps, a 25-kilometre pipeline distribution network, and an additional 500-cubic-meter capacity—500,000 litres per day—raising the total storage capacity by 50%.

According to the Managing Director of Torit Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited, progress has been made with some connections to households, businesses, and institutions.

“Our production capacity is 500 cubic meters, which is 500,000 litres per day. We now have 33 kiosks. The whole town of Torit is covered,” Francis Ohio said.

“We have located at least one kiosk in every part to represent certain communities and blocks so they can have access to fetch clean water,” he said.

“We have so far connected 42 households, 9 commercial connections, and 11 institutions.”

For her part, UNICEF Country Representative Hamida Lasseko says this project is a great relief to the women and children in Torit:

“I am so happy because I know the women and children in this area, especially Torit, will benefit from this,” Hamida said.

“They will spend less time going to fetch water from far away, but they will also use safe water that has been treated,” she said.

“A big thanks to the people of Germany for funding this project. I know it’s a big benefit to the people of Torit.”

According to the German Ambassador to South Sudan, more than a quarter of a million people in South Sudan now have access to safe and clean drinking water through this support.

Christian Sedat additionally said that Germany has invested more than 20 million euros in urban water supply systems in various states.

“Germany has been supporting the South Sudan water sector for many years. Our support for urban water supply systems now stands at more than 20 million Euros,” said Christan.

“Through our German support, more than a quarter of a million people in South Sudan now have access to safe and clean drinking water,” he said.

“The towns of Yambio, Yei, and Juba have already benefited from our support, together with UNICEF. And the latest German-supported water system is today in Torit.”

Faisal Abas, the area chief of Hawai Messer, notes that there has been a significant drop in waterborne illnesses since the installation of the new water points.

He says that as the donor hands over the water facility, Faisal calls on the state government to ensure that the water supply continues seamlessly once UNICEF’s and partners’ involvement ends, underscoring the critical need for ongoing support and maintenance.

“I want to give some information to our mayor. The government should ensure the water doesn’t stop running. If anything breaks, they should maintain it,” Faisal Abas said.

Barak Ayuru, a shop owner in the Malakia area of Torit, laments that the water company policy does not allow him to help individuals in need of water, such as the school children who come to him when they are thirsty.

He now calls on Torit Urban Water to provide some extra jerricans to cater to the vulnerable people who come to him asking for drinking water.