Drinking water flows in the village of Ebaka 1 thanks to COTCO

Thanks to a borehole drilled by COTCO, the local people can now put an end to long walks and waterborne diseases.

In Ebaka 1, in Bélabo subdivision, access to drinking water is no longer a daily struggle. On 20 March 2026, the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO) officially handed over a hand-pumped borehole to the local community, providing around a hundred families with a sustainable and safe source of drinking water. In this village in the East region, residents previously had to walk long distances to reach water sources that were often unhygienic. Today, thanks to this new water infrastructure, water flows right through the heart of the village.

The personalities attest to the potability of the water from the Ebaka 1 borehole.

During the handover ceremony, which was attended by local authorities and residents, Ms Mimi Gilberte Elat Ntsem, the first deputy mayor of Bélabo, praised the initiative, saying that it “will enable our communities to have access to drinking water and help to reduce waterborne diseases”.

“Access to safe drinking water is at the heart of our priorities, as we recognise its essential role in the health, well-being and development of communities”, emphasised André Belle Gorsiri, Manager of the Corporate Social Responsibility Department, representing General Manager, Jean-Paul Simo Njonou.

For the residents, this borehole represents much more than just an infrastructure. “It was us women who bore the brunt of the water-carrying chore”, says Sophie Yanga. Thanks to this facility, she explains, families are saving time and improving their living conditions. Pauline Nyipani shares the same sentiment: “Today, this borehole is a real blessing for me. At my age, I no longer expected to see this happen”.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the facility, COTCO has established a local management committee and provided community technicians with training in basic maintenance. This 5.8 million CFA franc borehole is part of COTCO’s ongoing commitment to the well-being of communities living along the Chad-Cameroon pipeline. More than sixty water projects have been completed in this area since 2012.