Project Status



Project Type:  Well Rehab

Program: Water for Sierra Leone

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  Decommissioned

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project was implemented by another partner, but is now monitored and maintained by The Water Project together with Mariatu's Hope.

General Information
The well rehab was at the pre-primary school in the community of Rotifunk #20. This school's well was an open well which caused water borne illnesses such as dysentery and malaria. Also, there is an Islamic Secondary school next door that have a broken well. Until the team is able to rehabilitate that well this primary school has agreed to let those students get water from this well, which is nearby. Most of the people in the community earn a living through small businesses, teaching and petty trading. The community helped the team with the rehab project by providing labor and security. When the project was complete, the community established a point person to be the caretaker of the well. Testimony from a community member: Esther F.F. Kamara-Onwuma, 38 year old headmistress of the school spoke with the team about the water needs for the school and community. 'There is a whole lotta different. Having this well sealed up is a lot safer for the children. The water is more pure. It is healthy. It is wonderful! I can't even explain'.

Testimony
The children gathered with the team around the well to pray before beginning any work each day. Upon completion, we dedicated the well and the hand pump up to Daddy God. Bible storying was done during the hygiene training with the children. The creation song was sung with them. The Gospel was presented. The owner of this school is the wife of a local pastor. They are Gideons and are going to team up with us to distribute Bibles at the well sites in this area of the country.

Hygiene Teaching
The school has a two stall pit latrine. Because there was no place to wash the children's hands, the hygiene team taught the teachers how to make tippy taps and showed the children how to use them properly. The hygiene team discussed the importance of the children using a 'potty' instead of peeing against the side of the building. They didn't seem to be using the pit latrines. Maybe because some of the children are so small. The ages of the children begin at two years old. The team discussed the need for the children to wash their hands and discussed when the children should be washing their hands with soap and water.

Project Updates


March, 2017: New Intervention Needed at Word of Life Bilingual School

The initial project at this school (seen in the reporting found on this page) is a display of our shared commitment to helping these people with first time water access. Equally as important to the community and The Water Project is ongoing support to make sure that water is reliable, day after day, year after year. This is why we monitor all our projects. Over time we’ve found that the water table has dropped in this area, limiting the intended benefit of this well. Though not common, this does happen from time to time.  

Because of our commitment to students and the people living around this school (and the lasting impact that our supporters want to make), we’ve drilled this well deeper in order to access a deeper, higher yield aquifer. This work will ensure that clean water is accessible here year round. To see that work, click here.




Project Photos


Project Type

Well rehabilitation is one of the most cost effective ways to bring clean, safe water to a community.  Sometimes it involves fixing a broken hand pump, other times it means sealing a hand dug well to prevent it from being contaminated.  These repairs, and often time total replacements, coupled with sanitation and hygiene training make a huge impact in communities.


Sponsors


36 individual donors
Duane & Katrina Weaver