July 24, 2018
By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Project Supervisor Mohamed Lakkoh standing atop the bricks
In fulfillment of President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction trajectory development plan to provide sustainable pure water facility in the rural communities, Da Yu Mining Company is currently constructing a water dam for Kafe Chiefdom in Tonkolili District, Northern Sierra Leone.
Da Yu Mining Company is a locally registered company under the Company’s Act of 2009 as a company limited by guarantee. The company was granted a large scale mining licence (ML 01/2018) in January 2018.
The dam, which is at the tail end of completion, will provide pure water for more than one thousand inhabitants in Mansumbirie, Kalmaron Kholifa and Maranda villages.
Whilst monitoring the ongoing construction, Deputy Youth Leader of Mansumbirie, Yayah B. Kargbo, urged the engineers to speedily complete the water dam so that it can be officially handed over to the Town Chief on behalf of the people.
Yayah frowned at the delay, but encouraged the engineers to do quality and sustainable job that would benefit generations yet unborn. He said for far too long the people have been deprived of pure drinking water, adding that the flowing stream has been their major source of drinking, laundering and other domestic work that requires water.
The project, after completion would cost $100,000. According to the company’s Managing Director, Yang Chong Qiu, they were working to strongly support the country’s New Direction to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
“We are here to stay considering the age old bilateral relationship between China and Sierra Leone,” he told journalists. He added that, “We believe the locals are part of us and therefore always ready to provide a better facility almost similar to those in the capital city.”
Yang said they are speedily trying to hand over the facility to the people as safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be economically productive. He said the Government of Sierra Leone cannot do it alone, adding “this is why we are coming to the aid of the community people.”