Rehabilitation Project
This project was implemented by another partner, but is now monitored and maintained by The Water Project together with Mariatu's Hope.
When the team arrived the community was utilizing an open, contaminated well as their primary source of water and because of this residents were suffering from Dysentery and Malaria. There were several students, living in the community who assisted with the hygiene education. The community worked diligently together during the team's stay and specifically assisted the team by providing materials and labor whenever possible. The majority of community residents sustain a living by petty trading, farming, teaching and fishing. The nearest school is located .5 of a kilometer away from the community whose students, teachers and administrative personnel all have access to the new, safe water source. Before leaving the community the team provided Chief Amara Bangura with a contact number incase their well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft.
The team had an opportunity to meet with twenty-eight year old community resident and housewife, Fatmata Marrah who stated, "The previous source was not clean. Sometimes we needed to go to the stream. With the new hand pump it will not be like that. Having the well sealed up will control the spread of germs and improve the quality of the water. It is also closer than the stream. I'm happy for this development."
There were twenty-eight adults and sixty-three children who attended the hygiene education. During the training 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. After the training the team distributed twenty-eight Oral Rehydration Solution spoons and the community expressed their thanks. The community children assisted with the hygiene education as much as possible, as they all lived in the facility where the education was conducted. The team addressed the current practice of open defecation and shared a process of constructing a native toilet and the importance of using it.
