The residents of Nadiangere Payam in Yambio County have launched the manual opening of a 65-mile road to ease movement of goods and people between the remote area and neighboring towns.
The community-led road project was launched on Sunday, and commenced started from Nadiangere Payam center to Maridi County.
Speaking to Eye Radio on Monday, the payam chief, Sultan Simon Pandee said the road will allow the local community to get access to basic service and major markets.
Sultan Pandee called on the government and Non-Governmental Organization NGOs to support the community project.
“We the community of Nadiangere (Ngondere) think about this road that, since the beginning of the world, this place was locked here 105 miles away from Yambio and there is no other road passing,” he said.
“This caused poverty too us, then we the communities said, we can’t stay like this since there is peace and the government said people should development themselves by their hand, so that is why we said this road.”
“So we said we have our neighbors, Maridi County, Barh El Ghazal and Tambura, so if we continue, then we shall not get any service, that is why we are opening the road from Nadiangere to Maridi so that we can get salt, shop and market for farm products and also benefit through the movement of people on this road.”
Some of the community members who are working on the road express their willingness to commit themselves to voluntarily finish the tedious work.
“My name is Peter among those working here opening the road with the reason that we are suffering here in Nadiangere, because no road passing, so we are trying to connect with our neighbors in Maridi, the challenges we are facing here on the road is lack of food and tools, we are appealing to government and NGOs to support us with tools for removing the trees.”
“What made me come here is that we don’t get services because our road is blocked, so we are working on it, I will not leave it to Men only, because the work is for everyone, as a woman I have to come and support.”
However, the Governor of Western Equatoria State Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba during the visit to the area promised to support the roadwork.
He said development is the major agenda in his government because he started with health facilities in some parts of the state, and now he will support the project to facilitate the movement of the communities in the state.
“This year I need to do something for greater Yambio because the road from Yambio to Nadiangere is 105 and there are civilians who can’t get any services because they are locked like animals in the bush,” Futuyo said.
“So I said start from Yambio the communities should start with their hands and later will be helped by Government or NGOs.”