Two additional public schools at Sangana and Brass Islands in Bayelsa have benefitted from water projects by the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund. The gesture is part of measures by the Bayelsa government aimed at addressing the lack of potable water in public schools and communities.

The benefiting schools are Community Secondary School in Sangana and Community Secondary School in Twon-Brass, two island towns located on the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean and accessible only by a two-hour boat ride from Yenagoa.

Residents of the islands are surrounded by salt water from the Atlantic Ocean and therefore lack access to drinkable water.

As part of efforts to tackle the problem, the Bayelsa government, through the EDTF and partner donor organisations, provided 9,000-litre water borehole facilities for each of the schools.

Speaking at the inauguration, team lead of the EDTF, Nyananyo Tubo, said the aim of the gesture was to provide access to potable water for students and teachers in public schools as part of the water, sanitation and hygiene programme.

For the principals of CSS Sangana, Maureen Digitemie, and her counterpart in CSS Twon-Brass, Angolo Godwin, their joy knows no bounds, as the project will address the water needs of the schools and the communities.

Godgift Isama-Asun, vice chairman of the Sangana Council of Chiefs and a representative of the Twon-Brass Chiefs Council, Norman Ngeri, stated that with the facility, students will now be able to concentrate on their studies in school.

Representatives of the partner organisation, Ama Sei Humanitarian Foundation, appealed to the school management and the benefitting communities to safeguard and maintain the water projects.