Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Burkina Faso

Impact: 400 Served

Project Phase: 
Under Community Care
Initial Installation: Jun 2013

Project Features


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Community Profile

When the team arrived, 400 community members were depending on an unprotected spring to meet all of their water needs. Because of this and the community’s practice of open defecation, families were suffering from dysentery, typhoid, and malaria among other preventable water-related illnesses. Most residents here practice subsistence farming to support their families.

We installed new rods, riser main, drop pipe, cylinder, and chain. These new parts are all made of stainless steel.

The well has a total depth of 37 meters with a static water level of 7 meters.

Not only did the team restore clean water to Besserke, but they also brought important information on hygiene and sanitation. They taught about hand-washing, how to properly transport and store water, disease transmission and prevention, how to maintain proper care of the pump, as well as signs and symptoms of dehydration and how to make an Oral Rehydration Solution. All of these lessons were taught in a participatory method to help community members discover ways to improve their hygiene and sanitation choices and implement community-driven solutions.

During the team’s stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of 4 men and 4 women who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible. This water committee is also responsible for helping maintain the well after the team leaves the area and who are responsible for collecting an annual well maintenance fee of $0.50 USD per person.

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Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


Contributors

Yakima Foursquare Church