After more than 30 years without access to clean water, residents SEP, residents of Yanfiki, a rural community in Kano State, can now access safe drinking water following the installation of a solar-powered borehole system.

The facility delivered by the BATN Foundation includes a 20,000-litre water tank, five dispensing taps, four 400-watt solar panels, a submersible pump, a manual hand pump, and a fenced perimeter for protection.

A Board Director of BATN Foundation, Nasiru Wada, said the use of solar energy was aimed at aligning the project with environmental sustainability targets.

“Through the deployment of this solar-powered borehole, we are not only ensuring clean water access but also promoting eco-friendly renewable energy solutions,” he said.

Until now, locals said they paid as much as N100 per jerrycan for water said to be often unsafe for human consumption.

“Sometimes we hid the water from visitors because it was too dirty to offer them. Today, we have water, and not just water, but clean water, right here in our village,“ a resident, Mallam Abdullahi Garuba, said during the recent inauguration of the project.

According to BATN, the event drew hundreds of residents, as well as government officials and traditional leaders.

The Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Umar Doguwa, who unveiled the project, was said to have also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving rural infrastructure.

The Director of Water in Kano, Yusif Inuwa, described the project as technically sound, appreciating the organisation for the gesture.

Also in attendance were the Foundation’s General Manager, Oludare Odusanya; the Project Manager, Adetola Oniyelu; a Zonal Director at the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Abdulraheem Mudashi, among others.

Representatives of the foundation urged the community to take responsibility for the facility’s maintenance.

“This is your project. Own it. Maintain it. Let it serve not just you, but your children and grandchildren. Let no child skip school again because of water. Let no mother fear sickness from dirty streams,” the foundation told members of the community.