The missing piece in most community development

Greeting Steemit Family

Yeah, getting into a new neighborhood is never that easy. In my country, the land is officially owned by the government. What usually happens is that whenever the government wants to turn an area into a residential zone. They hand it over to the local authorities to distribute to the people in that area.

When I say "give," I mean they are supposed to allocate it for free. But that is rarely the case. These local authorities often give the land to the actual locals from that area, while selling it to people from other regions of the country. That was exactly what happened in my new neighborhood some years back. These projects aim to foster development and improve the living standards of the community.

Now, what I’ve come to notice is the difficulty of accessing potable drinking water. The government often provides good infrastructure, like roads and electricity. Once these are available, development usually follows quickly. But potable water is often ignored.

Over the past few days, I have been thinking that water should be given the same level of importance as roads and electricity when these areas are handed over for development. I’m not saying there is no water available.
I’m specifically talking about potable (safe drinking) water. I'm writing this from a location close to the sea, with a high water table. So yes, every home has access to groundwater (we call it "wee water") for washing and cleaning, but it is not safe for drinking.

Improving public health starts with having access to clean drinking water. It helps prevent waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea. With better water, fewer kids end up in hospitals due to preventable illnesses.

Having potable water at home also saves time. Just this morning, I had to drive almost a kilometer to get drinking water for the house. It is not only expensive, but it is time-consuming.

Here, you have to invest a lot more to have potable water in your home. And I’m beginning to think this may be one of the reasons we don't have schools around. If the community had clean drinking water nearby, it could attract schools, health centers, and housing projects.

To conclude, it is a great community. The electricity is stable, compared to other cities in Cameroon. I have been impressed with the voltage consistency, I honestly can not remember the last time I saw anything like it. The houses are also well-planned, with roads passing directly in front of every house. That means you do not need to make any arrangements for road access.

Every household here has water for washing and cleaning. Some even drink it, though I’m not sure it is safe. That is why I believe the availability of potable water will greatly boost the area.

It is a great neighborhood, and with time, more people will be able to invest in getting potable drinking water at home, rather than going out to buy it.

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Cheers
Thanks for dropping by
@fombae