SLCAA Director General Funds Borehole Project for Royeama Community

Residents of Royeama Community in Maforki Chiefdom, Port Loko District, are celebrating improved access to safe drinking water following the commissioning of a newly constructed water well donated by the Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), Musayeroh Barrie.

The facility, commissioned on Thursday, 14 May 2026, is expected to ease long-standing water challenges in the community, which had reportedly struggled for access to clean and safe drinking water for several years.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Madam Barrie described the project as a personal humanitarian gesture aimed at supporting vulnerable communities and improving living conditions.

She clarified that the intervention was not funded by the Government, noting that it was financed through her personal Zakat contribution as part of her religious obligation.

“Water is life and everyone deserves access to safe drinking water,” she said, adding that acts of charity remain a meaningful way of giving back to society.

Madam Barrie also encouraged parents in the community to prioritize education, particularly for girls, whom she described as future leaders of the nation.

Reflecting on her professional journey, she noted her achievement as the first female Director General of Civil Aviation in Sierra Leone and West Africa, while acknowledging President Julius Maada Bio’s support for women and youth empowerment initiatives.

She further urged young people not to allow their background to limit their aspirations, but to remain focused on education and personal development.

The project was facilitated by the Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation, led by its Executive Director, Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation, who explained that the intervention was made possible after identifying the community’s long-standing water challenges and linking it to philanthropic support.

He noted that prior to the intervention, residents especially schoolchildren had to travel long distances in search of water, a situation that often affected school attendance and exposed them to risks.

He further disclosed that the newly constructed well is 21 meters deep, making it one of the deepest community wells in Port Loko District.

Residents say the facility is expected to significantly improve sanitation, health conditions, and overall quality of life in the community after years of water scarcity.