Yusuf Maigari: The Water Revolution man of the Kebbi community
In the sleepy rural community of Dangandu, a silent water revolution is unfolding, and the man championing it has vowed not to allow a pause until he fulfils his “life mission”.
BIRNIN-KEBBI, 14 March, 2024 - About two years ago, when Yusuf Maigari was in the thick of his water pumping business, he never imagined his life would find its true purpose in doing just that.
Today, he is arguably one of the most successful men in Dangandu community, the Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State, North-West Nigeria. This 35-year-old water service operator, who has witnessed a massive turnaround in fortune, now 'only thinks and dreams of water'.
Yusuf was selected by his community to run an 8,000-liter solar motorized borehole in Dangandu.
The borehole was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Improved Sustainability of Integrated Services (IWASH) intervention program. Under the scheme, which runs in 9 Local Government Areas, evenly spread across Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, communities which contractually pay for the repair and maintenance services for the water facilities provided for them.
The USAID-funded scheme, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has not only ensured regular supply of potable water to the inhabitants of Dangandu and various communities, but it has also empowered the residents, especially the women and changed the lives of enterprising men like Yusuf.
Yusuf now generates a handsome proceed from the water business and remits his committed share to the WASH committee in the community. In turn, he bears all costs, in ensuring a defect-free use of the borehole.
With sales of water from each of the 4 tap islands in the community hitting between N4,000 and N6,000 every week, for Yusuf, this has been a win-win, both for him and his community, who now depend on him for his effective management of this essential service.
The Water Man now employs local water attendants, which for the first time now includes a woman, who manages one of the major tap islands selling water at nominal rates, making it affordable to the poorest of the poor.
Thanks to this USAID-funded scheme, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Dangandu, with as little as N10, children can now have a clean bath, regularly. Households no longer have to worry about their endless and exhausting battles, making it back and forth from distant and often dirty hand-dug well sources.
"The only source of water in this community before was the few open hand dug wells, but now almost everyone gets water here,"
With the profits generated, the smart water service operator has now diversified into the transportation sector. The vehicle he bought recently is now used to transport people and goods from his community to various locations, creating an additional source of income and yet another essential service that benefits his people.
But Yusuf is not done. His dreams, in keeping with the gains from the scheme, have grown ambitious. He now plans to run pipes from the USAID - UNICEF collaboration - provided solar-motorized borehole to nearby villages, where he will set up tap islands like the ones in Dangandu.
"People come from neighbouring villages to fetch water here, so my future plan is to also extend safe water to them," he said. Yusuf now wishes to replicate his Dangandu model in the neighbouring villages by putting women in charge of such boreholes in the tap islands, if his big plan secures initial hurdles.
Mariam, one of such empowered women, running the tap island, said the business has transformed her life.
"I generate between N700 and N900 every day from selling water. With that, I have been able to support my family".
The Dangandu solar-motorized borehole success story is no longer just gushing out clean water to meet the livelihood needs of the poor, it is also 'pumping out' life-changing economic opportunities for young men like Yusuf and members of his community who are now partners in this USAID-UNICEF partnered, “Water-for-life Campaign”.
