Giving Update: Kolia Village

"From the time this well was constructed in our community, we have been relived from so many constraints that we have faced over the past few years. Now we have the opportunity for safe drinking water," said Alpha Dumbuya, caretaker of the well for Kolia Village.

The lives of this project's beneficiaries have improved in significant ways in the year since the project was completed. We heard about the impact on the life of 13-year-old N’baliaya Sillah during a recent visit to the well.

"My life has been really changed more than the past years because it’s was very difficult for me in the morning hours to run down to the stream to fetch water for cooking and bathing before going to school," she said.

"But, now it is very easy for me to access clean, pure and safe water for drinking and to do all my chores. I also learned a lot of lessons from the hygiene training conducted by the staff last year."

People here no longer lack knowledge on how to live a healthy life and how to take care of their environment. After the hygiene training, there are some practices that are still in use like dishracks, clotheslines, and tippy taps for handwashing.

The surrounding area of the well is very clean and they are taking good care of the pump. In fact, we have not received any reports of breakdowns or issues since the construction was complete - a sign that the community is ensuring the well will continue to function for a long time.