The World Bank funded Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) is making huge impact in the life of people in Katsina State. The project has recently disbursed N30 million to 13 communities in the state for the provision of infrastructures.
The benefitting communities drawn from six local government areas of the state, would according to the General Manager of the CSDP, Alhaji Salisu Yar’Aduwa, benefit from various the upgrade of the infrastructure in various sectors of health, education, water supply and electrification
LEADERSHIP checks indicate that the benefitting? communities: Shadanbu, Yana, Ungwan Yara, Sharawa, Kahutu, Baurawa and Salimawa, would soon begin to reap the advantages of these facilities, as work on water supply, roads and electrify installations have reached various levels of completion in most of areas. Yar’aduwa therefore tasked them to ensure transparency noting that “each community must keep a profile box detailing information about the projects being executed and all expenses
incurred must be explicitly stated so as to ensure accountability and transparency.”
He said that the project was part of measures to improve standard of living for the rural populace.
Aisha Mannir, 33,who? resides in Baurawa community in Kusada local government area of Katsina State and often treks for about five kilometers daily to source water for domestic use said, her community relies on a stream that serves for both human and animal needs, “and this stream dries up at the approach of dry season she laments”, adding? “We stay days without bathing because most times, we had little water or no water for domestic needs.’
So when the community was able to access funds made available by the CSDP to provide functional borehole, Aisha could not hide her joy as she shed joyful tears at the sight of the hand pump. “I cannot say how I feel because this is one thing I have been waiting for all these while” she said.
Obviously referring to the borehole she added, “This has address significant part of our problems.”
The poor communities which had to contend with difficulties in trekking long distances in search of water can now rejoice of having access to clean water, electricity, more classrooms, health centers as well as rural link roads through the support of the Katsina State Community and Social Development Agency.
Some communities that are currently enjoying from the first phase of the projects executed by the agency included Salimawa, Damari and Baurawa in Kusada local government area, Kirijam, Shakara, Unguwar Mallam Haji in Dandume local government area, Ungwan Yara and Yana communities in Charanchi local government, two from Daura and one from Safana local government areas respectively.
The CSDP is a World Bank funded programme with counterpart funding from both the states and local governments, from the participating communities. The project provides multiple supports to communities geared towards enhancing standard of living and building social cohesion among the rural areas.
The project is designed in such a way that communities provide the initial development plan, detailing its needs in terms of priority and once a community development its plans,? the agency reviews it and provides funding while the benefitting community provides only 10 percent of the cost of each project. “The 10 percent to be contributed by the benefitting community may come in the form of labour, materials or cash depending on the nature of the project to be executed”, Yaraduwa said.