By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Chiri Community of Ganawuri District of Riyom local government area of Plateau State, over the weekend expressed widespread jubilation as Intergrated Dairies Limited (IDL) in collaboration with Sahel Consulting has constructed a borehole for them.
Speaking at the commissioning and handing over ceremony of the borehole to the community, IDL Divisional Head of Agric Businesses, Paul Sini, said the community is productive in dairy production from cattle and borehole will improve their domestic water-use and cattle feeding for more yield.
He said the borehole in the community will equally uplift their lives and livelihood because water itself is life.
He said the people of the community have been engaged in local and fresh milk extraction from their cattle and then sell to their company who come to patronize them regularly, and they need to be encouraged because they are very enterprising.
“This community who are benefiary of this borehole construction have been very viable in fresh milk production/extraction from their cattle. And as a company, we have been patronising them. Since then, they do not need to take their milk out of their community or trek and transport to distant places to market their milk as others do by selling it at the well known ‘Fura da Nono’.
“Their milk-production viability and our patronage has kept them in good business, and has also made the men too to get more involved in milk extraction business from cattle. This was unlike the way it was hitherto left mostly for the women, while the men concentrate on grazing with the cattles.
“But thier major challenge has been a good source of drinking water for themselves and cattle. And in order to solve the problem for them and boost thier milk yield for better and more sustainable patronage, IDL and Sahel Consulting has constructed this borehole for them,” he said.
Sini said they will endeavour to do more of such for other enterprising dairy producing communities so that they can encourage them to do more and be more productive.
Besides, he said, their gesture is equally a good way of empowering rural areas and that other organizations should endeavour to do such for rural communities in line with their needs in order to boost their entrepreneurial abilities and skills development.
Speaking on behalf of the community,, one of the leaders, Yahaya Ahmadu, said since the construction of the project the community’s joy knew no bound, and know that it is completed their joy has doubled because of the enormous importance of the borehole to them.
Ahmadu promised that they will jelously take good care of the borehole and use it protectively so that it will serve them sustainably and for a long time.
He called other organizations, nongovernmental organizations and government alike to take the issues or rural empowerment seriously and also carry them along in business value chain, because it will greatly enhance their growth.
