16/06/2025
FROM CREEK TO CLEAN WATER:
RED CROSS RESTORES HOPE IN SARWOLOR TOWN AFTER TRAGEDY”
Monrovia June 16, 2025: – After the tragic loss of seven lives to waterborne diseases, a wave of hope has swept through Sarwolor Town as the Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS), with support from the Swedish Red Cross, officially handed over two newly constructed hand pumps and rehabilitated a third—restoring safe drinking water to a community once desperate and forgotten.
In January, Sarwolor made headlines when FrontPage Africa reported that over 3,000 residents, primarily women and children, were drinking from a creek after the town’s only hand pump broke down. The consequences were devastating.
“I watched my daughter die just two days after being diagnosed with diarrhea,” recalled Norah Gbanjah, a grieving mother who also lost her son and grandson to the same fate. “We were helpless.”
The creek, just a short walk from the town, once appeared to be a gift of nature—cool and shaded—but it was a silent killer. “I was forced to drink from the creek because there was no other choice,” said Rita Dollo, a mother of four. “We were dying slowly.”
The urgent intervention by the Red Cross has since transformed sorrow into celebration. During the dedication on June 13, 2025, Town Chief Lawrence Doloply expressed deep gratitude. “The Red Cross saved our lives. We were crying for help, and they answered. This is what true humanity looks like,” he said.
Chief Doloply emphasized the town’s commitment to protecting the new water facilities: “We will not let these pumps spoil. We will maintain them so no more lives are lost.”
Women, who bore the brunt of the crisis, voiced overwhelming relief. “We used to feel shame and sadness fetching creek water. Today, I feel proud,” said Noria Cooper, the Women Chair Lady. “We will organize ourselves to care for these pumps like we care for our own children.”
For Manda Cooper, a mother of seven, said the Red Cross’ intervention brought more than clean water—it brought peace of mind. “Some of my children died from bad water. But today, I can say thank God for the Red Cross. They gave us life.” Sarwolor Town now looks ahead—not to another tragedy, but to a future of dignity, health, and clean water.
Speaking during the hand pump dedication in Sarwolor Town, Swedish Red Cross Country Representative Armel Komena reaffirmed the organization’s global mission of compassion. “Our objective is to mobilize the power of humanity to create a better world, a better community,” he said. “That is why the Red Cross is present in every country because humanity knows no borders. It is this same spirit that has brought the Swedish Red Cross to support the Liberian Red Cross.”
Christopher Johnson, Head of Programs at the Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS), emphasized that clean water access remains one of the most urgent humanitarian challenges in Liberia’s rural communities.
Mr. Johnson added that the Swedish Red Cross has donated two drilling machines to expand clean water access. “These are not for profit,” he emphasized, “they’re for our people—to end suffering like what happened here.”
“What happened in Sarwolor is not an isolated tragedy—it’s one of many untold stories,” he said. “With limited resources, we are doing all we can to stop people from drinking unsafe creek water, but the need far outweighs our current capacity.”
The Red Cross has been actively responding to these needs, with the rehabilitation of 15 damaged hand pumps across 13 communities in B**g County, including Gbarnga, Totota, and B**g Mines.
Under the LNRCS GIRL Project, an additional 14 hand pumps have been rehabilitated in hard-to-reach southeastern counties—Sinoe, Grand Kru, and River Gee. “Every pump we repair or build saves lives and restores dignity,” Johnson added.
Despite the progress, both Johnson stressed the urgent need for increased support, partnerships, and collaboration to scale up the LNRCS humanitarian interventions.
“We have the technical expertise and the commitment,” said Johnson, “but we are seriously challenged by extremely limited resources. We call on all partners to help us reach further—to restore access to safe and reliable drinking water and protect lives.
