Community-Led Action Drives Water Conservation in Gella

Sustainable environmental change begins when entire communities take ownership. In Gella Community, this belief came alive during a one-day community-wide water conservation awareness campaign led by Alimat Care Foundation under the UNDP GEF-SGP-funded project.

Building on earlier farmer trainings, the campaign extended key water preservation messages beyond farms to households, women, youth, and community leaders — recognising that water management is everyone’s responsibility.

Using door-to-door engagement, locally produced IEC materials, and audio jingles in Hausa and Fulfulde, the campaign reached over 800 community members. Messages highlighted the link between water conservation, health, climate-smart agriculture, and household wellbeing.

Participants praised the use of local language and inclusive messaging. Women, who manage household water daily, noted that the campaign provided simple, practical actions they could immediately apply. Young people expressed a renewed sense of responsibility for protecting water resources for future generations.

A defining moment of the campaign was the community-led sandbagging of the Bogga Dam, initiated by the community environmental committee. Community members voluntarily mobilised to preserve water for household use and the project’s demonstration farm — a powerful example of collective action and ownership.

This initiative demonstrated that when communities are informed, respected, and empowered, they move from awareness to action. The campaign not only strengthened water conservation practices but also reinforced community cohesion and long-term environmental stewardship in Gella.