Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Burkina Faso

Impact: 350 Served

Project Phase: 
Under Community Care
Initial Installation: Jun 2013

Project Features


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Community Profile

Most Yabagane residents practice subsistence farming to support their families.

When the Living Water Burkina Faso team arrived, families were depending on an unprotected well to sustain their growing water needs. The well had fallen into disrepair six times since its initial construction in 2011. Because of these water issues and the community’s practice of open defecation, families were suffering from malaria, dysentery, cholera, diarrhea and severe dehydration among other preventable water related illnesses.

During the team’s stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of 3 men and 3 women who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible. This water committee is also responsible for collecting an annual well maintenance fee of 700CFA per person (475CFA is equivalent to $1 USD).

We installed 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 Yabagane, 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