Makeni Marketplace Well Repair
Project Snapshot
Country: Sierra Leone
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude 8.863850
Longitude -12.055933
Impact:
Total Served: 400
Status: Completed (?)
Completion Date (or estimate): 08/20/2010
Share this Project
The community of Makeni is located in the Bombali district of Sierra Leone. Most people in the community earn a living through petty trading and farming. This was an open well at a busy market area. The water was pumped from the well, the casing was sunk and the cover was put back in place. A base was set and a new Afridev hand pump was installed. An apron was created and the well was plastered, it was a great project! The community helped the team with the project by providing materials, labor and security.
The community took real ownership of the well, it was great. When the well was complete, the community established a point person to be the caretaker of the well.
Testimony from a community member:
Councilor Mary Koroma, 43 year old farmer, teacher and councilor spoke with the team about the water needs for her community. “I’m very glad for this project to start yesterday and be done today. The open well was dirty. The water was not pure. This hand pump is very nice. I’m really excited for this development in this community. Thank you Living Water International, The Water Project and Penson! No more drinking dirty water!”
Additional notes from our partner...
This was a really incredible project. The transformation was amazing. The community involvement was phenomenal! The community gathered with the team around the well to pray before the work began both days. Upon completion we all gathered back around the well making sure to not step on the cement work of the youth! We prayed and dedicated the project back to Daddy God. We talked about caring for the well and pump. We presented the Gospel and distributed Bibles. Songs of rejoicing filled the air. It was such a great day for this community and for us as a team to be so blessed to be able to bring this cup of water in Jesus' name to the people of this community.
Hygiene and Training:
The hygiene training took place in the busy marketplace. There were 48 adults and 70 children who attended the training. 40 ORS spoons were distributed. It was crazy at times, but there were many positive comments about the training. Everyone was very thankful for the development of a hand pump and all that it means for the cutting of disease transmission for this community.
The importance of using a latrine was discussed and how to build a native toilet was discussed both at the hygiene training and at the actual work being done on the well. Lessons included germs/disease transmission, proper hand washing techniques, healthy/unhealthy communities, ORS (oral rehydration solution), proper care of the pump, keeping the water clean, good-bad hygiene behaviors, dental hygiene and disease transmission stories.
Project Photos
Sponsors
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.
