The quest for good drinking water has made many around the world to become vulnerable to negativity and harm. Bokwango, a town in Buea Municipality, is no exception. Her inhabitants have been victims to the negative consequences that comes with water gap.
A lot of people including women in Buea have been victims of rape, harassment, robbery, and other forms of violence, just in a bid to get portable drinking water.
This is the case of Shella, a 36years old, who was a resident of Bokwango. On that faithful night of December 2018, Shella was out to fetch water for her kids so that they can prepare and leave for school early the next day and do other house chores. Shella often, at 8:00pm, walks a distance of about 1km to fetch spring water at Kia, Longstreet. She relied on the spring water in other to avoid the queues that is usual at the few boreholes and taps.
Coupled with the queues, the high cost of water was also unbearable for Shella. So, she often walks the long distance to get the precious liquid for survival. Her path was dark and lonely as usual, but Shella was unafraid because of her consistency in walking that path.
Unfortunately for her, while heading home from Kia spring, with the heavy 20litre gallon on her head, unaware of the misfortune that she was to behold, she was bitten by a snake. After a number of struggles and screams, she passed out. Only in about 30minutes later, that a passerby discovered her unconscious, helpless and rushed her to the Buea Regional Hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, it was already late for Shella. Medical reports showed that the venom had circulated through her system and it was impossible to save her. And that was the end of Shella, leaving behind her three kids as orphans.
The tragic end of Shella exposes the need to close the water gap that has crumbled and left the inhabitants of Bokwango and her environs to abject suffering and misery. Water crisis is a huge call for concern, as inhabitants go through precarious conditions in a bid to get good drinking water. During the dry season, there is the intensification of water scarcity in these environments and there is therefore need to construct boreholes, water tanks, taps, and access to clean drinking water, water filters and purifiers. This will ease the harsh conditions of the people of Bokwango and her environs.
