Rehabilitation Project
Upon completion of the project, our partner in the field reports...
Community Details
When the Living Water Burkina Faso team arrived in Zouzieane Commune de Dano to restore access to safe drinking water, the biggest difficulty was that the well was plugged with some kind of debris. After sitting idle for a decade, debris had settled in the well making efforts to remove the cauterized contaminates difficult. A Living Water Burkina Faso team member shared the following, "Had we not been able to clear the debris, the well would have remained useless. Thanks to God, however, that the debris cleared and we were able to descend the cylinder to a depth of 30 meters! We also had to reconstruct the well platform changing out the Volanta pump base and install a new India pump base—which is no small task!" Not only does this restored water source benefit the 144-family community of Zouzieane, but it also served the local church that has equally struggled without safe drinking water. “Our mission has had a church in this village for several years, but we were unaware of the difficulty they were facing with this pump," shared a Living Water Burkina Faso team member. "The water well manager for the Mayor's Office in Dano showed this well recently along with several others that need repair. Sadly, this well had not been used in ten years. An organization came to try and repair it two years ago; they installed a new Volanta pump but when they tried to set the rising main pipes they would not fit correctly. This left an evident slight angle to the borehole that prevents the pump from being installed correctly. Unfortunately, the organization abandoned the project and moved on, leaving the people without water once again. When we arrived on the scene in October we discovered that the well was plugged with debris, and after attempting to fish it out, itdescended to the bottom of the well." To restore the community’s water source, the team unplugged the well and pumped water with an electric, submersible pump to verify that water was in the well and that it was clean. The team sealed the well and secured an India Mark II pump to the top.
Although safe water was secured, water will only remain safe and an improved water point will only remain functional if it is properly maintained. The Living Water team, throughout the rehabilitation process, actively engaged the community, and counsel was provided in maintaining their restored water point and new pump. A six-person water committee was established; voluntarily by the community and this committee will support the well by managing its water resources and maintaining the pump and well site. The team addressed valuable lessons on keeping the area clean, and hygiene lessons concerning the collection of water. "It was a very good project, and something that everyone was proud of," shared a Living Water team member! "A successful well rehabilitation of a well that had been abandoned for 10 years is always a good thing and worth sharing!"
Hygiene Promotion
To allow this community the full benefits of knowing safe drinking water, the team addressed the following principle hygiene and sanitation lessons: germs, hand washing-proper techniques and water saving methods, good-bad hygiene behaviors, proper care of the pump and keeping the water clean. There were 148 people in attendance (42 men, 64 women and 36 children). To better engage beneficiaries in the lessons, the Living Water team used a LWI Traditional Method, which is a participatory method to help community members discover ways to improve their hygiene and sanitation choices and implement community-driven solutions. During the lessons, the team focused on eliminating the practice of open defecation that aside from consuming unsafe water was a leading cause of disease in the community. To express their gratitude for the restored water point and life-saving hygiene and sanitation lessons, the community shared, "On behalf of all the people of our village, we thank the Association Krista Lawyer and Living Water International and all its partners in Dano and in the United States who have thought of us here in our sufferance to find clean water. The teaching that we have received from this hygiene instructor has been very good. We have learned many things which will permit us to gain clean water to drink and to have a pump that will last!"
Community Member Interview
"In the village of Zouziegane, we have more than 1,000 people living here, and our problem is certainly water. [Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. This community would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.] We have two pumps that mostly serve the school. In the past, both of these pumps were broken down. There were 10 years that this particular pump was broken down. There was a project that tried to repair it, but in vain, could not. We searched for someone else who could come help us. In the rainy season, the women searched for water in the creek, but in the dry season we had to go to neighborhood villages and also used traditional hand dug wells. But today, with this rehabilitation, we know that the problem of water has decreased. We have found clean water again today, and we are very happy! We don’t know how to thank this Living Water International and their partner The Water Project. We are going to ask the all-powerful God that this organization will continue to go on and help other villages that also have this problem. I thank you greatly, and all the inhabitants of Zouziegane are very happy!" – Community member, counselor, farmer and beneficiary, David Dabire
