Komkanda Memorial Secondary School

Photo of Komkanda Memorial Secondary School

Project Snapshot

Country: Sierra Leone

GPS Coordinates:
  Latitude 8.691167
  Longitude -13.190650

Impact:
  Total Served: 200

Status:  Completed (?)

Completion Date (or estimate): 12/30/2010

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When the team arrived the community was utilizing a river as their primary source of water and because of this residents were suffering from Malaria among other preventable water related illnesses. During the team's stay the community assisted by providing materials and by assisting with the water project whenever possible. The majority of community members sustain a living by farming or teaching and the nearest school is a Secondary school located in the community.

The team had an opportunity to meet with forty-five year old female community resident and local housewife Isata Koroma who stated, "The distance is far to get water. Sometimes we all have running stomach (diarrhea) and the water has a yellowish color and it is tasteless to drink. I'm looking forward to drinking clean water!"

There was good participation on the part of the teachers and the students. The students are presently using native toilets and will be looking into a suitable sanitation solution for this school. During the hygiene education the following principal issues were addressed: Disease transmission, Germs, Hand Washing- proper techniques and water saving methods, Healthy Unhealthy Communities, Oral Rehydration Solution, Proper care of the pump, Keeping the water clean, Good-bad hygiene behaviors and Disease Transmission Stories.



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Country Details

Sierra Leone

Population: 9.7 Million
Lacking clean water: 47%
Below poverty line: 70%
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season; winter dry season
Languages: English, Mende, Temne, Krio
Ethnic Groups: 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10%
Life Expectancy: 48 years
Infant Mortality Rate: 155 deaths per 1000 live births

Partner Profile

Living Water International

Nearly 20 years ago, we set out to help the church in North America be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving the poorest of the poor. 600 million people in the world live on less than $2 a day. 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water.


For all practical purposes, these statistics refer to the same people; around the world, communities are trapped in debilitating poverty because they constantly suffer from water-related diseases and parasites, and/or because they spend long stretches of their time carrying water over long distances.


In response to this need, we implement participatory, community-based water solutions in developing countries. Since we started, we’ve completed water projects for 7,000 communities in 26 countries.


It all began in 1990, when a group from Houston, Texas traveled to Kenya and saw the desperate need for clean drinking water. They returned to Houston and founded a 501(c)3 non-profit. The fledgling organization equipped and trained a team of Kenyan drillers, and LWI Kenya began operations the next year under the direction of a national board.


That pattern continues today; we train, consult, and equip local people to implement solutions in their own countries.


Remembering the life-changing nature of that first trip in 1990, we also lead hundreds of volunteers on mission trips each year, working with local communities, under the leadership of nationals, to implement water projects. It’s hard to know which lives are changed more—those “serving” or those “being served.”


Our training programs in shallow well drilling, pump repair, and hygiene education have equipped thousands of volunteers and professionals in the basics of integrated water solutions since 1997.


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