Bois Dinde/Lesperance and Diamond farmers receive water after decades of waiting
“We realize that this project is long overdue, however we are elated that we are finally able to bring pipe borne water to your farms and doorsteps. It was not easy and may not have been possible without the collective efforts of Sequa gGmbh, the Water and Sewage Company (WASCO), the Government of St. Lucia, the Soufriere Foundation and the Parliamentary Representative,” said a proud Chairman of the Soufriere Foundation, Lyton Lamontagne, at the official ceremony to mark the close of the Bois Dinde/Lesperance and Diamond Water Project.
The landmark event which was held on April 08, 2011 in the farming community of Diamond was attended by Prime Minister, Rt. Honourable Stephenson King; Minister of Public Utilities, Honourable Guy Joseph; Parliamentary Representative, Honourable Harold Dalson; Senator Allen Chastanet; Sequa Programme Director, Mr. Reinhard Danneleit; German Honorary Council, Karolin Troubetzkoy; Directors of the Soufriere Foundation and its General Manager, Dominic Alexander.
The project which commenced in December, 2010 and ended in March, 2011 was the end product of several decades of agitation by the farmers and residents of Bois Dinde/Lesperance and Diamond; both farming communities in Soufriere, who were without a portable supply of water. For generations, both farmers and residents depended predominantly on rainfall for a water supply for their farms and homes. Their plight caught the attention of the Ministry of Public Utilities, Parliamentary Representative and Soufriere Foundation, who each made a submission on their behalf to the European Union through its implementing agency, Sequa gGmbh.
Sequa gGmbh funded about EC$300, 000 of the EC$340,000 project, which involved the laying of over 7000 feet of pipe and 8 fire hydrants between Bois Dinde and Diamond. WASCO and the Soufriere Foundation, were the two other sponsors of the project, with WASCO providing the technical support, site supervision and machinery and the Soufriere Foundation, besides serving as the implementing agency, also paying the project water connection fee of EC$300 for over sixty (60) farmers and households. The newly installed distribution line will supply water to over 300 persons, including farmers who will now have a reliable water supply to irrigate their crops in periods of low rainfall. These improvements in supply are expected to bring improvements in both the quality and quantity of their crop yield.
Sequa gGmbh, Programme Director, Reinhard Danneleit, informed the large gathering that, “We are very pleased to have been able to contribute to this Local Economic Development project. We hope that with its completion the problem of low vegetable yields and inconsistent production because of the unavailability of a reliable supply of rainfall will now be a thing of the past.”
During his turn at the podium, the Parliamentary Representative, Harold Dalson, took the opportunity to thank Sequa for its faith and support for the project. He also asked the residents to be openly thankful in their praise to the European Union for attending to their situation and by so doing enhancing their lives.
The Minister of Public Utilities, Honourable Guy Joseph, who was also the keynote speaker, put the project into perspective. “This project is especially important because of the length of your wait and the tremendous impact it will have on your lives. By improving your access to pipe borne water it will greatly enhance the quality of your life. No longer will the women and children of your communities have to lose productive time fetching water.” The Minister was also full of praise for the residents. He said, “The people who deserve the most praise today are you the residents. You deserve the highest praise for your patience, endurance and tolerance.”
At 6:30 pm the Prime Minister, Rt. Honourable Stephenson King, and Sequa Programme Director, Reinhard Danneleit, opened a purposefully installed pipe to mark the first time that pipe borne water was being introduced to the communities. As the gushing air was replaced by a constant flow of turbid water, the residents shouted with unbridled boyish joy.
The Soufriere Foundation remains committed to the development of the community of Soufriere and the Bois Dinde/Lesperance and Diamond Water Project is but one of its many initiatives. In the next few months work will commence on the construction of the Hummingbird Beach Park Project. This project aims to improve the aesthetics of the northern entrance to Soufriere by optimising the open space and replacing it with a world-class facility comprising a restaurant, residential beach cottages, toilets, changing rooms, an information centre and taxi stand, etc.
