Bakolo Junction Community

March, 2026: Bakolo Junction Community Well Complete!

We are excited to share that your donation provided a safe, reliable well at Bakolo Junction Community. As a result, community members no longer rely on unsafe water to meet their daily needs. We conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.

The community's joy couldn't be contained! Clean water is flowing!

Regina Thomas, 58, has a family to care for and a trading business. She has spent most of her life living through a water crisis beyond her control.

"I have seen the worst moments of the water crisis in this community, especially during the dry season. It was extremely difficult to fetch enough water. I often could not cook, wash clothes, or even drink sufficient water. But all that is no more. With the new water well, I can now fetch water at any time to carry out my domestic responsibilities. One of my biggest challenges was late cooking. The water shortage forced me to fetch water only after returning from trading, which delayed food preparation for my family. Luckily, that challenge is now a thing of the past. I finally have clean water near my home!" Regina declared.

Ms. Regina Thomas celebrating the new well.

She continued, "The new well near our house will save my children from trekking to the bush to fetch water, as it is now at an easy distance from our house. Going to the bush to fetch water exposed them to snake bites, injuries, and lateness (to school). With this new water well, they can get water easily and safely at any time without exposing themselves to those risks. This implies that they will spend less time getting water and more time in school, which I think will result in improved academic performance."

13-year-old Adamsay has high hopes for how this new well will change her future!

Adamsay (green shirt) joyfully celebrates the new well!

"Having water at home is good for me since I no longer must go searching for it. I utilize that time to assist [my] mom in preparing food, taking my bath, and studying my schoolwork. This water well helps me in preparing ahead of time for school; therefore, I can focus more on school and work towards getting good grades. The water from this well is clean and safe to drink. I no longer must drink water from the bush, which can make me sick. When I fall sick, I miss school, and that affects my performance in exams. I thank God for this new water well. It will significantly change my life," celebrated Adamsay.

After construction was complete, we held a dedication ceremony to officially give responsibility for the well to the water users. Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources. Each official gave a short speech thanking those who contributed to this water project and reminding everyone to care for it. Then, Regina and Adamsay made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

Osman Fofanah from the Ministry of Water Resources came to celebrate, too!

New Well

The community provided space for the drill team to store their belongings and meals for the duration of their stay. We were ready to begin drilling!

Drilling begins!

We drilled until we reached a final depth of 27 meters. The team did a soil test, bailed the well, and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. This well has a static water level of 14 meters. Finally, we tested the water flow to ensure the well would provide clean water with minimal effort at the pump.

Constructing the pad.

As the project neared completion, we built a cement platform, walls, and a drainage system around the well to seal it from surface-level contaminants. The drainage system helps to redirect spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which is unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Finally, we installed the pump and conducted a water quality test. The results showed the water was fit for drinking!

Community Education

Before conducting any hygiene training, we collaborated with the local water user committee to understand the community’s challenges. We identified households without handwashing stations. With this information, community members worked together to improve hygiene and sanitation at home before the training.

We invited a nurse from the local clinic to explain some topics and raise awareness of Sierra Leone's free vaccinations for children under five. Nurse Fatmata Sesay was instrumental in reinforcing each lesson.

Nurse Fatmata Sesay leads a hygiene session.

We scheduled a time when members from each household using the waterpoint could attend a three-day hygiene and sanitation training and dispatched our teams to hold the meeting.

We taught the participants about proper handwashing, personal and menstrual hygiene, and healthy habits such as using latrines and maintaining a balanced diet. We discussed how disease transmission and water hygiene are crucial to community health. We emphasized the importance of maintaining and caring for the well pump and the cost recovery system.

Field Officer Phillip James Allieu described the topic that gained the most attention throughout the training. "The presentation on the topic of healthy/unhealthy community was the most engaging session of the training. It sparked deep discussions among participants, encouraging them to reflect on their own community’s condition. The facilitator used images of both healthy/unhealthy communities, prompting participants to identify which one resembled their own. This approach inspired critical thinking, as they carefully analyzed the images before making their decision."

He continued, "Initially, many participants pointed at the unhealthy community, but a sense of hesitation and murmuring followed. Some were confused, while others quietly discussed among themselves. Eventually, they acknowledged that their community shared some similarities with the unhealthy community depicted in the image. However, they also believed that their community was in a somewhat better state. As the discussion progressed, participants gained a clearer understanding of the topic. They began identifying specific features of an unhealthy community that were also present in their own. They recognized key consequences of living in such conditions, including the spread of diseases, which could strain the limited financial resources of families."

Showing the differences between a healthy versus unhealthy community.

"They also emphasized that untreated illnesses could lead to death if not promptly addressed at a health center. Another major concern they raised was water contamination, which could result in widespread sickness if consumed. By the end of the session, participants proposed practical recommendations to improve their community’s hygiene and prevent it from becoming unhealthy. These included clearing overgrown grass, digging garbage pits, constructing and properly using latrines, maintaining cleanliness in and around their homes, and draining stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding," Phillip concluded.

Disease transmission session.

Regina Thomas, previously quoted, is the Vice Chairperson of the Water User Committee. She shared her experience in the training sessions.

"The training has been incredibly impactful," she said.

"Before attending, my hygiene practices were not the best, but now I have gained valuable knowledge about proper hygiene. I was unaware of how easily diseases could be transmitted through unclean hands. One of the most amazing lessons was learning about the construction of a tippy tap. This simple yet effective solution will save me from spending money on buying a handwashing bucket while still ensuring proper hygiene. I am now committed to promoting better sanitation in my community. I will not allow any of my neighbors to let their children practice open defecation, as this will help reduce the spread of diseases. This training has equipped me with the knowledge to keep my community healthy and prevent disease outbreaks. Moving forward, I will ensure my environment remains clean and free from all sources of water contamination," she concluded.

Ms. Regina Thomas helps lead the dental hygiene session.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2026: Exciting Progress in Bakolo Junction Community, Thanks to You

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Adamsay and the entire Bakolo Junction Community. Construction has begun on the new borehole well project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the community with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water in the Bakolo Junction Community!