Louisiana Township – Life in the township of Louisiana, located about 15 kilometers from Monrovia in Caldwell, has been marked by severe hardship, with residents lacking essential services such as schools, piped water, and hospitals.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
Caldwell, a township in Montserrado County, Liberia, was one of the four townships established in the first wave of colonization between 1822 and 1827. It is listed as one of the original settlements comprising the Commonwealth of Liberia in the 1839 Constitution, drafted by the American Colonization Society.
Over the weekend, FrontPageAfrica visited the township and observed that the residents are still bearing the scars of the devastating civil conflict that claimed thousands of lives and ravaged the fabric of society.
Speaking in an interview with journalists, 86-year-old Mrs. Edna Moore Woods highlighted the serious challenge of accessing safe drinking water in the community. According to her, she pays L$50 for a gallon of water, describing the situation as a crisis. She expressed appreciation and excitement for her son, Mr. Prince A. Woods, who has restored piped water to the community.
“My son, I’m 86 years old. I was born and raised here. During the old times, we got water from the well here, provided by late President William R. Tolbert. When the water was brought, my mother constructed a handloom that we used. After the war, all those things were damaged, and today we don’t have any. So, we go to the creek, river, stream, and open wells to fetch water. For drinking, my children help me, but we are suffering,” she lamented.
One of the elders, Emmanuel L.Q. Yantee, stated that since the end of the 14-year civil crisis, they have been drinking untreated water from nearby creeks, rivers, streams, and open wells, which sometimes cause illness and death. He noted that those who drink safe water are the ones who can afford to purchase bottled water, but many cannot afford it, forcing them to use unsafe water sources.
For her part, Rita D. Hines mentioned that they often have to send their children to nearby creeks, streams, rivers, and open wells at night to fetch water. Unfortunately, the children are sometimes attacked by disadvantaged youth who rob them and, in some cases, kidnap them. Tragically, some children have even drowned during these dangerous journeys.
Additionally, Mr. Peter Paye explained that consuming untreated water has led to illnesses such as diarrhea, fever, fatigue, gastroenteritis, and, in some cases, death. He lamented that despite raising funds and repeatedly engaging successive governments, their community’s plight remained unresolved.
However, to address this challenge, a resident of the Caldwell Louisiana Township, New Hope Community in Montserrado County District #1, Mr. Prince A. Woods, with technical support from the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), finally restored piped water to the community.
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Mr. Woods said that for the past six years, during former President George M. Weah’s administration, they had been engaging the Water and Sewer Corporation to connect the community but were hindered by the high costs. When the new leadership took over, Mr. Woods visited the LWSC office and pleaded for assistance. They agreed to provide the technical manpower while he covered the logistics and other expenses.
“They called me to inform me that they were ready to connect us. The community residents also came out to help. I provided the logistics and other support, amounting to Two Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars. We are doing this for our people, and we hope this initiative will extend to other parts of the township, as it currently lacks piped water,” Mr. Woods concluded.
