By Alieu Jallow
The residents of Renewu Wolof in the Central River Region have praised Cornerstone Construction for its dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within their community.
The construction company, well-known for its infrastructure projects across The Gambia, has significantly contributed to local development. However, the community continues to experience a serious water crisis and is urgently seeking further assistance to tackle this critical issue.
In the Gambia, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is often overlooked or inadequately addressed by many companies, despite its importance in fostering sustainable development and social well-being. While some legal provisions exist to encourage corporate responsibility, enforcement remains weak.
The absence of strict penalties for non-compliance allows many companies to evade their social obligations without consequences. Speaking to The Fatu Network, the women of the community expressed their gratitude for the company’s interventions, However, they emphasized that access to clean and reliable water remains their biggest challenge.
According to Marie Ceesay, the level of scarcity has forced them to implement stringent measures that ensure equal distribution of the minimal amount of available water. She expressed appreciation for what Cornerstone Construction has done so far, noting that their support has made a difference in their lives, but outlined that water remains a major issue thus calling on government intervention.
“We appealing to the government to help us with more water supply. We are seeking help to increase our water level,” she said.
Yassin Bah emphasized that the limited water supply is insufficient, leaving many households struggling to access clean drinking water. This situation has prompted many of them to purchase water from nearby Senegal.
“Sometimes, some people don’t even border themselves to come to the only borehole we have as they will not get water. I’m fetching here today but yesterday I had to use my donkey cart to get water from neighbouring Senegal,” Bah said.
The Central River Region is one of the areas in The Gambia facing acute water shortages, affecting not only households but also farming and livestock activities. While Cornerstone Construction’s CSR initiatives have brought relief to the area, residents believe that tackling the water crisis should be a priority.
During a nationwide tour of ongoing road projects with Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, we spoke with Mr. Ing. Jonas Agyemang, the contractor for Cornerstone Construction. He emphasized the company’s commitment to giving back to communities. Mr. Agyemang noted that their primary focus is not solely on road construction and profit-making, but rather on contributing to the welfare and development of the communities they serve.
“Cornerstone is not just only working on road projects for communities, but we all try to help them through our social cooperation. We most of the time help the communities by drilling boreholes for them and also once in a while we try to supply them with food stuff.
“We also employ a lot of people within these communities. We also donated a pickup [truck] to the police in Njaw to assist them in their monitoring and patrol within the community for security purposes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the people of Renewu Wolof remain hopeful that their concerns will be heard and that lasting solutions will soon be implemented to ensure access to clean and safe water for all.
