Residents of Mukongo, western part of Yambio town construct their road and bridge. Credit|Adam Juma Zino

Residents of Mukongo in the western part of Yambio town have mobilized resources to rehabilitate their road and bridge after the government failed to support them.

Women and men alike gathered gravels and soil to fill up potholes and construct the destroyed road and bridge in Western Equatoria state capital.

They mobilized work tools such as spades, hoes, wheelbarrows, axes and machetes to open up the road and restore the bridge’s functionality.

Veronica Joel is one of Mukongo residents who participated in yesterday’s voluntary road work.

She explained to Eye Radio the challenges the community in the area faces in accessing social services.

“We agreed to construct our road w[because] we don’t have a health centre, no school, nothing. So we had to start this work with our hands,” Joel narrated.

“We are appealing to well-wishers who can support and help us with what we are doing.”

Another resident, Adam Juma Zino said pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups could not access hospitals and other service centres due to the impassable road.

“Some of us were using hand methods to construct the road and the bridge and it has been done successfully,” he said.

“The challenge we have is for pregnant women at the moment they are in labor, there is no way to take them to the hospital due to lack of good road where the vehicle can pass and carry them quickly to the hospital.”

The residents of Mokungu believe once completed, the road will also help them in transporting their farm produce to Yambio market, and access more services such as health and education, among others.

Western Equatoria state -just like the rest of the country -still do not have a fully functioning government. It, however, has a Mayor for Yambio town.