The Turkish Diyanet Foundation (TDV) will soon supply clean water to thousands in the West African country of Guinea thanks to the water wells it has built.
The Foundation, linked to Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), has already built several water wells in dozens of countries, particularly in Africa. Its latest project will address the problem of access to clean water for Guinea, one of the poorest countries in the world and home to more than 13 million people.
The wells, which will serve the inhabitants of the towns of Boke and Boffa, are equipped with a 5,000 liter water tank and eight taps and generate their own energy with solar panels installed on the outside.
Cevdet Can Canikli, Turkey’s acting ambassador to Conakry, says Turkey has always stood by Guinea and he thanked the charity for expanding Turkey’s expansion into the country. “Such support demonstrates Turkey’s strength in contributing to solidarity among Muslims. May Allah bless all donors for these water wells, he said.
Bekir Belada, a TDV official in Guinea, said they were already organizing an aid campaign in Guinea in connection with last week’s Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) and the water wells will add value to their aid. “Two wells will soon be available for use and a third is under construction. They will be the first water wells we installed in Guinea. Almost 10,000 people will benefit from water from these wells. These people have a serious need for clean, fresh water, he tells Anadolu Agency (AA).
Ibrahim Sy, the representative of the Lambandje district where a well is being built, thanked TDV and Turkey for the well. “The people of Turkey showed that they are our brothers and sisters by noticing our situation. We are happy. This well will provide constant water to about 6,000 people here, he said.
Guinea is among the countries involved in Turkey’s efforts to develop strong relations with African countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the first Turkish president to visit the country in 2016, three years after embassies opened in 2013 in Ankara and Conakry. Turkish charities have intensified efforts in recent years to build water wells in Africa, which is facing a chronic water shortage problem. From the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) to the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH), charities have built hundreds of water wells on the continent, from Senegal to Tanzania.
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