Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Burkina Faso

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase: 
Under Community Care
Initial Installation: May 2013

Project Features


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Community Profile

There are 1,833 residents in this community and the surrounding communities who are dependent on a single protected hand-dug well to meet all of their water needs. Because of this huge shortage, families were suffering from malaria, typhoid, cholera, diarrhea and severe dehydration among other preventable water-related illnesses. Most residents here practice subsistence farming to support their families.

During the team’s stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of 2 men and 2 women who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible and provided any materials they had available. This water committee is also responsible for collecting an annual well maintenance fee of $6 USD per household. Before leaving the community, staff provided the water committee with a contact number in case their well were to fall into disrepair or become subject to vandalism or theft.

We repaired the pump head, pump handle, pump base, rods, riser main, the drop pipe, cylinder, and chain. These new parts are all made of stainless steel.

Not only did the team restore clean water to Oronkua, 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.

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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