Yambalu Gains Sufficient Water for Prayers

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Yambalu. Since then, she and the Makombor Community of 134 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Clean water makes me happy, healthy, and safe," said Yambalu.

Before the Well Rehabilitation

Like many women in Sierra Leone, farmer Yambalu Conteh 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.

The previous water source.

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 Yambalu, it reduced her ability to stay healthy and to attend to her daily chores.

"One of the biggest problems I was having was the fetching of sufficient and clean water. It was not easy because of the situation. I usually go to the swamp to fetch water. This was a problem because the road to the swamp was bushy, and I was afraid of snakes. The water at the swamp was not clean," said Yambalu.

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 Yambalu’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

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 very convenient to fetch water here, especially when the water is safe to drink, and it does not go dry. This has prevented me from going to the swamp to fetch water," said Yambalu.

"Having water available always means a lot, and it makes me feel safe, especially in cases of emergency where water is urgently needed," she continued.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Yambalu and 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 system hardware, monitor water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water-quality samples to identify risks. We work with our on-the-ground team to resolve them.

You gave Yambalu 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 Yambalu fulfill her dreams.

"Having this water source has helped me to spend more time on my garden work. This has increased my sales after harvesting. I want to be making “foo-foo” (a staple West African dish made from boiled and pounded starchy root vegetables) so that my children can sell [it] for me and have money to take care of their education," shared Yambalu.

Making personal strides in her business and towards her children's education is important to Yambalu, but so is her newfound freedom to practice her daily religious practices.

"I now have enough water to perform ablution. I am so proud of this because I hardly miss prayers since clean water is now available for me to use before going for prayers," Yambalu celebrated.