Rehabilitation Project
Many of Emutetemo's 1,000 community members do not have access to a nearby, reliable and safe water source. There is a spring in the far reaches of the community, yet people still suffer because the water is so far away, leaving them exhausted.
Community members' daily schedules are negatively impacted due to the multiple trips to the spring a day to meet even their basic water needs. One round trip takes some people up to 2 hours because of the distance and overcrowding at the water source once they finally arrive. The wasted time causes their everyday chores like cooking, cleaning, and laundry to be delayed or neglected altogether, and people feel frustrated.
"Being a widow, I find myself overwhelmed by work, going for water being one of the major challenges. Long queues, long distances, and [the] steep slope all contribute to delay in my daily schedule," said small-scale farmer 40-year-old Judith Abomba, collecting water from the faraway spring below.
Like Judith, many families in the community rely on small-scale farming or livestock breeding for income, but without sufficient water, their efforts are in vain. And without an adequate income, families find meeting their everyday needs a challenge so overwhelming they can not seem to find the energy to dream of improving their lives.
"Because of the long queues at the spring, I am usually forced to overstay to get water, and this causes me to be [in] quarrels [with] my mother. Back at school, I am usually punished for not completing homework because I never get time to do so," said 11-year-old Felix K. (shown below).
Hopefully, by installing a well in Emutetemo, community members will quickly be able to collect sufficient water and return to completing their daily chores. And this should help them gain the ability to provide adequate income for their families and dream about the future.
What We Can Do:
New Well
We conducted a hydrogeological survey, and the results indicated the water table here is an ideal candidate for a borehole well. Due to a borehole well's unique ability to tap into a safe, year-round water column, it will be poised to serve all of the water needs for this community, even through the dry season.
The community will help collect the needed construction materials such as sand, rocks, and water for mixing cement. They will also provide housing and meals for the work team, in addition to providing local laborers. We will complement their materials by providing an expert team of artisans and drilling professionals, tools, hardware, and hand-pump. Once finished, the community will use water from the well for drinking, handwashing, cleaning, and much more.
We and the community strongly believe that all of these components will work together to make it easier to accomplish daily tasks and allow the opportunity for community members to live better, healthier lives.
Training on Health, Hygiene, and More
We will hold a one-day intensive training session. This training will cover a wide range of topics, including disease transmission routes and prevention; personal and environmental hygiene; and the operation and maintenance of the borehole and handwashing stations.
Our team of facilitators will use various methods to train, including participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation and asset-based community development. We will also lead lectures, group discussions and provide illustrative handouts to teach health topics and promote good hygiene practices, including handwashing and water treatment. We will then conduct a series of follow-up training before transitioning to our regularly scheduled support visits throughout the year.
