Bor, a small town in South Sudan's Jonglei state, has transformed from a flood-prone community into a thriving water city thanks to a $5.4 million (£4m) project funded by the Netherlands and South Korea. The new water treatment plant, which was formally handed over to the management of the state-owned corporation last month, is being hailed as a beacon of climate crisis adaptation.
Before the project, women and children in Bor had to walk miles to fetch clean drinking water from the White Nile, often risking their health due to the river's unpredictable floods. The town's residents had grown accustomed to seasonal overflow, but this year's extreme flooding displaced close to 380,000 South Sudanese people, according to the UN's office for humanitarian affairs.
However, with the new plant, water is now available 24/7, and the town has become a model facility due to its low running costs. The project has brought jobs to 30 core staff, including electricians, pump mechanics, plumbers, and lab technicians, who are responsible for maintaining the plant's systems.
Community kiosks, which were previously used by water sellers like Ssemabira Steven and Sserwanja Hamza, have been connected to the pipeline network. The two Ugandans, who have been selling water in Bor for seven years, now transport jerrycans on their bicycles, filling them with water from the kiosks.
The project's impact has been felt by residents, including students and girls who can now attend school without having to fetch water. "We don't see such problems anymore," says Abuol Agou, a 14-year-old student. "I was almost hit by a car while fetching water from the borehole. But now I can wash and change here at school."
The new water system has also improved attendance and performance at St Andrew high school, which is one of the schools connected to the pipeline network. The head teacher, John Kuer Barach, says that students are now more focused on their studies.
However, despite Bor's success, only 40% of South Sudan's 13 million people have access to drinking water within a 30-minute walk. Mulugeta, managing director at SSUWC, overseeing five national water treatment plants, emphasizes the need for massive investment to bring the sector to a basic, acceptable level.
The project's Yar Paul Kuol notes that international aid and funding are increasingly hard to find, so they want to see the government funding such projects before asking donors. As Bor continues to thrive, its residents are grateful for the new water system, which has changed their lives for the better.
Before the project, women and children in Bor had to walk miles to fetch clean drinking water from the White Nile, often risking their health due to the river's unpredictable floods. The town's residents had grown accustomed to seasonal overflow, but this year's extreme flooding displaced close to 380,000 South Sudanese people, according to the UN's office for humanitarian affairs.
However, with the new plant, water is now available 24/7, and the town has become a model facility due to its low running costs. The project has brought jobs to 30 core staff, including electricians, pump mechanics, plumbers, and lab technicians, who are responsible for maintaining the plant's systems.
Community kiosks, which were previously used by water sellers like Ssemabira Steven and Sserwanja Hamza, have been connected to the pipeline network. The two Ugandans, who have been selling water in Bor for seven years, now transport jerrycans on their bicycles, filling them with water from the kiosks.
The project's impact has been felt by residents, including students and girls who can now attend school without having to fetch water. "We don't see such problems anymore," says Abuol Agou, a 14-year-old student. "I was almost hit by a car while fetching water from the borehole. But now I can wash and change here at school."
The new water system has also improved attendance and performance at St Andrew high school, which is one of the schools connected to the pipeline network. The head teacher, John Kuer Barach, says that students are now more focused on their studies.
However, despite Bor's success, only 40% of South Sudan's 13 million people have access to drinking water within a 30-minute walk. Mulugeta, managing director at SSUWC, overseeing five national water treatment plants, emphasizes the need for massive investment to bring the sector to a basic, acceptable level.
The project's Yar Paul Kuol notes that international aid and funding are increasingly hard to find, so they want to see the government funding such projects before asking donors. As Bor continues to thrive, its residents are grateful for the new water system, which has changed their lives for the better.
! A town that was basically drowning in floods now has a shiny new water treatment plant that's changing people's lives 
. I mean, can you imagine having to walk miles every day just to get clean drinking water? That sounds soooo harsh 
. But now, with the new system, residents like Abuol Agou and Ssemabira Steven don't have to deal with those risks anymore 
.
.
. And what about the jobs created by this project - 30 core staff might not seem like a lot, but it's still an amazing boost to the local economy 
.
!
. $5.4 million may seem like a lot, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed, but every bit counts 
. I mean, just imagine having access to clean drinking water 24/7 - it's life-changing! And not just for Bor, but for entire communities struggling to get by 
. That's the kind of change we should be talking about 
.
. It's a small win, but it shows the impact we can have when we work together 
. We should be supporting projects like this and pushing for more investment in infrastructure 
. It's crazy that a small town like Bor had to resort to fetching water from the White Nile, it's just not sustainable or safe, you know? And now that they've got this new water treatment plant, it's amazing how much of a difference it's made for the community - kids can go to school without having to worry about getting water, women don't have to walk miles daily... it's all good news 
. But let's not get too carried away here, only 40% of South Sudan's population has access to clean drinking water, so we've got a long way to go yet 
i mean bor is a small town but it's already become this thriving water city thanks to that $5.4 million project 
it's crazy how something like that can change someone's life for the better. i'm glad to hear that women and children don't have to walk miles anymore to fetch clean drinking water 
because 40% of the population still doesn't have access to clean drinking water... that's just not right 
it's amazing how these projects can have such a huge impact on communities. what do you think will happen next with bor's water system? will there be more projects like this in the future? 
. This highlights the need for increased investment and government support to address this critical issue 
. like, who needs gov funding when u got netholland and south korea throwin' $$$ at u? Bor's story is proof that private investment can make a real difference 
. Anywayz, Bor's got water, and that's somethin' 380k ppl can get excited about 
, but isn't that just code for "we've got a cheap fix and now we can pretend like everything's okay"? I mean, 380,000 people displaced by floods? That's not something to be celebrated, that's something to be outraged about 
.
.
like what's next? we're gonna send robots to save us from ourselves lololol anyway back to Bor... 380k people displaced due to floods is crazy fam 
and btw have you tried those jerrycan delivery guys from Uganda? ssemabira steven and sserwanja hamza are their names 
