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It started as a normal Monday, but in the afternoon the Kofyar hills echoed with drums, laughter and tears of joy. For decades, the communities of Kofyar, Pandkurum and Longsel had shared an aspra truth: the water was poor, life was hard and the hope of change always seemed like a distant dream. On August 25, 2025, that dream was finally released from the clouds.
The commissioning of a rainwater’s collection and storage system, financed by the German Henkel Stiftung Gerda and performed by the Vernacular Heritage Initiative (VHI) under the guidance of Dr. Obafemi Olukoya, has marked a turning point in the history of this Hilltop agreement. What once played as an ambitious promise became a living reality before the eyes of hundreds that gathered in the center of the community to attend a new chapter.
From the early hours, the scene was alive with the music and the colorful energy of Kofyar’s cultural crew. The guests of the nearby Pangkurum and Longsel arrived to share a joy that had escaped these hills for generations. The women in brilliant wraps sang victory songs, the children ran barefoot through the complex and the elderly sat under the shades of the trees, observing a moment when they had prayed for all their lives.
When the event started, the message of goodwill of Dr. Olukoya was delivered. “It’s not just about water,” he said. “It is the dignity, health and legacy that deserves to thrive.” He told how the project began in December 2024 and the countless construction challenges on these land without heavy machinery. “The people of Kofyar brought this project on the back: literally. Without your hands and strength, this day would not be possible,” he followed his word, drawing a strong applause. Among these, the voice of Mr. Simon Dachin who said “we walked for miles for water, sometimes hot, sometimes in the dark. Our children have lost the school because they had to take water. Today, that story ends”.
Similar words of gratitude came from representatives of Pangkurum and Longsel, both communities that now take water without risking their health or safety. Then the moment came when applause attracted strong enough to shake the hills. The long Kofyar, Capo John Datek, took a step forward to cut the tapes, first in the center of the community, then close to the school and finally in the church. Each sniper sniper released not only a ribbon, but decades of repressed hope.
When the taps opened, the clear water waterways flowed into waiting containers. Women cried, men raised their hands in thanks, and children danced in the puddles as if to baptize themselves in a new reality. He plays later, the representative of Vernacular Heritage Initiative (VHI) began the symbolic distribution of the gallons of water in line with the new recovery program: Kofyar Houseshols Collection of two gallons of 25 liters per week and Wednesday; Pangkurum will go to take every Friday and for a long time every Saturday.
The tokens were distributed to guarantee order and equity: a structured end of the chaos that once defined life here. In his message of good will, dr. Olukoya Words reminded people that this success was built on partnerships and sacrifice. “You have transported stones and pipes to make it happen. You showed that when a community is together, nothing is impossible.” These reading words have been accepted with rhythmic applause and appreciation songs.
The president of the Kofyar Development Association – Kelvin Daduut spoke and promised to guarantee the maintenance of the community to ensure that this water project should last forever. When chief Datek climbed for the thanksgiving vote, the complex remained silent. His voice, full of emotion, brought a weight that only history can give: “Gerda Henkel Stiftung has always been friend for us, but today they have become familiar. This gift is beyond water: it is life itself”.
While his words lingered into the air, the crowd was made in a last round of applause. The day ended with women in balance of vases on their heads, not by weight but by celebration, and young people splashed in fresh water while the elderly looked at with tears of tranquility.
For a people who once measured time on water trips, Kofyar will now measure life in flowing flows and a finally safe future, but all made possible by the generosity of a longtime friend of Kofyar Land – Gerda Henkel Stiftung. Capo John Dak, the long Kofyar that cuts the ribbon to commission the rainwater collection project in Kofyar
