A Year Later: Benke Community, Waysaya Road

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to drill a well for Benke Community in Sierra Leone. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – and we’re excited to share this one from local team member Omoh Emmanuel with you.

People have benefited so much from this project. Their surroundings are very clean, with facilities and tools like handwashing stations, kitchens, and clotheslines seen all around.

School children are no longer going to school late because they have good water in a central location. This water has eased the pressure for community members; you can see it in their faces.

We spoke to Johnny Robert who works at St. Mark's Church and Mohamed Yayah Conteh, a 12-year-old student who lives in Benke. They told us about some of the other changes they've witnessed over the past year.

There has been a "great improvement on the water supply and the entire community since the well was dug for us," shared Mr. Robert.

Mr. Johnny Robert

"We use the well to supply water for the [toilets] and the handwashing stations, which has never happened in the previous years especially in dry season. We also use this water for drinking, cleaning of the church, and also when the church now has programs, the congregation does not have to go too far in search of water."

Construction of the well is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This well in Benke is changing many lives.

"I always love to see safe and clean water, all the time. Before, I found it difficult to find water in the morning to have a shower before going to school, but now that this well is beside me I wash three times a day!" exclaimed 12-year-old Mohamed.

Mohamed Conteh

"I now go to school clean and neat, very early in the morning without being late to school like before."

This is only possible because of the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise and how you can help.