By: Alieu Ceesay
In the riverside village of Tendaba, nestled along the banks of the mighty River Gambia and renowned for its bustling fishing community, residents are facing a deepening crisis over access to safe and reliable drinking water.
The entire village relies on a single outdated local pump that has increasingly failed to keep pace with rising demand. Over the past five years, population growth and heightened needs have pushed the system to its limits, with the main source now frequently running dry. Families are left scrambling daily to secure even basic amounts of potable water, turning what should be a routine task into a persistent struggle.
Sadibou Keita, a lifelong resident, described the escalating hardship. “The situation has worsened significantly,” he said. “We have reached out to many institutions for help, but nothing has been done. Our women are really struggling to secure enough water.”
In line with many rural communities across The Gambia, women and girls in Tendaba shoulder the heaviest burden. They spend hours queuing at the pump or trekking in search of alternatives, time stolen from education, gardening, fish processing, or other vital activities that support household livelihoods.
Mamie Sanyang, a middle-aged villager, highlighted the particular toll on women in this fishing-dependent area, where water is indispensable for cleaning catches and upholding hygiene. “Sometimes when women return from selling fish around midday, they find no water,” she explained. “They have to wait longer, and that makes things very difficult. If we can get help, it would mean a lot to us.”
The village’s current infrastructure includes a small storage tank holding less than 3,000 litres—far too limited to serve all households simultaneously. Residents also criticize the solar-powered pumping system, noting its slow and inconsistent flow from the main pump to the tank.
Fatoumata Saine emphasized the broader impacts beyond domestic needs. “We would love to operate backyard gardens, but because of the lack of water, we cannot,” she said. “We are calling for support in water supply so we can garden, sell our fish, wash our clothes, and manage our homes properly.”
United in their plea, the people of Tendaba stress that reliable, clean water has become essential not only for health and dignity but also for economic survival in a community where fishing remains the lifeblood. As appeals to authorities and organizations go unanswered, villagers hope their voices will prompt swift action to address this pressing need.
