A Community Forgotten: The Urgent Water Crisis in Jenta Mangoro, Jos

As our convoy rolled into the heart of Jenta mangoro, a community in Jos North, Plateau State, we were met with a sight that was both humbling and heartbreaking. The dusty, uneven roads, neglected for years, told a story of abandonment. The people—resilient, yet weary—gathered in numbers, eager to share their plight. Their struggle? Something so basic, yet so essential—water.

Jenta mongoro is a large community with three ward heads, but for years, it has suffered in silence. The residents spoke of how the government had turned a blind eye to their suffering. Their roads are impassable, but worse still, their access to clean water is almost nonexistent. The few boreholes provided by NGOs in the past have broken down—only one out of five remains functional. And that one? Overwhelmed by demand.

The only working borehole operates only when there is electricity, but there are no water storage tanks to save up water. When there is no power, there is no water. Unfortunately, electricity is not constant in Jenta mangoro—twice during our visits, we did not see any power supply. In addition to the NGO-supported boreholes, the government once donated a borehole, but the impact has been minimal.

The crowd we saw at the borehole was overwhelming. Women, Children, and the elderly stood in long lines under the scorching sun, waiting for their turn to fetch just 25 litres of water- water that isn’t free. Each Jerry can cost N100, a price many cannot afford. For a community already struggling to make ends meet, this is a burden too heavy to bear.

Our visit to Jenta mongoro was not just to observe; it was to act. As part of the Emergency Water Relief Initiative, we assured the people that clean water was coming their way. We promised to bring relief on Saturday, March 22, 2025. And we did.