Kérouané, Guinea – In the southeast of the country, the Télémbaya sector, under the district of Finaria, in the sub-prefecture of Sibiribaro, prefecture of Kérouané, is facing an acute shortage of drinking water.

This locality of approximately 1,000 inhabitants has only one hand-operated borehole, the capacity of which remains largely insufficient to meet the daily needs of the population.

From the early hours of the morning, women and girls gather around the pump, buckets and jerrycans in hand. Long lines quickly form, sometimes lasting for hours, delaying domestic, school, and agricultural activities. The wait, fatigue, and heat often lead to tension and altercations among the women using the pump.

“Water has become a daily struggle here. Women get up at dawn hoping to have a few liters. You have to wait a long time, and this often causes arguments because of fatigue and stress,” says Balla Kourouma, representative of the head of the Télémbaya sector.

According to him, the situation becomes particularly critical during the dry season, when the water level drops and the pump struggles to function.

"During this period, the flow decreases and some families are forced to travel several kilometers to find water elsewhere. It is a suffering for the whole community," he adds.

Despite several complaints addressed to local authorities and hydraulic engineering services, no lasting solution has yet been found.

The inhabitants of Télémbaya are today calling on the Guinean government, humanitarian NGOs and development partners to help them with the construction of new boreholes and the improvement of the drinking water supply system.

"We are not asking for much, just water to live with dignity," says one resident, visibly exhausted by this daily ordeal.