Mahawa Can Expand Her Soap Business!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Mahawa. Since then, she and the Mathen Community of 185 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"The water is clean and safe for drinking. It is close to my house, and I can easily access it. It produces clean and enough water."

Before the Well Rehabilitation

Like many women in Sierra Leone, 37-year-old Mahawa Kamara is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Mahawa, in particular, she often felt unsafe on the long journey to collect water.

Mahawa making the long journey back with water before their well was rehabilitated.

"It was a big problem for me to fetch water in my village before this project was completed. I found it difficult to fetch water from the well. It goes dry every year during the dry season, and I must cross the Port Loko road to collect water. Sometimes, I waited on the side of the road before I could cross because vehicles/bikes passed at high speed. I [was] always afraid of being hit by [a] bike/vehicle," Mahawa shared.

"Due to [the] present situation at that time, I preferred collecting water from the stream. It was far away, and I walked a long distance to collect water. I came across snakes, and I was afraid of snake bites. Sometimes, I got stuck or damaged the rubber bucket. It was difficult for me to prepare the local soap. It [was a] delayed process due to [the] water problem in the village," Mahawa shared.

Since the Well Rehabilitation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Mahawa’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Mahawa enjoying clean, accessible water!

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"It [is] quick to collect water, and the well produces enough water. It is faster now than before. I will not walk long distances to access water anymore," she shared.

Not only is the water more easily accessible, but Mahawa is healthier now! Making achieving her goals possible.

"I like to live with clean water because living with clean water contributes [to] not contracting waterborne illnesses."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Mahawa and the rest of her community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Mahawa a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help fulfill dreams.

"This well has helped me to achieve making my local soap on time. Since this water well was renewed, the process goes normally. I go to the well [to] fetch water quickly, then prepare the local soap. I [am] able to generate income, which I use to take care of my needs and pay fees for my children's [schooling] and relatives. I dream big for my business [of] local soap to expand," Mahawa concluded.

Mahawa making soap.