This project is a part of our shared program with Bridge Water Project. Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Ebenezer Praise Centre Church is a rural based Christian church that serves the local people spiritually. The church was started in the year 1992 with the aim of bringing people together in the knowledge of God, promoting unity and cohesion. Since then, the church has positively affected the majority of community and therefore a big population attends the church services.
The Ebenezer Praise Centre Church holds conferences throughout the year, whereby the branch churches from all over the country attend the conference in large numbers. Besides that, the church has a nursery school in which mostly disadvantaged children (orphans) attend their lessons and are sponsored by well wishers.
Through the efforts of the well wishers, a well was drilled for the church in 2005 but was not installed with a hand pump. This is because it was the responsibility of the church congregation to solicit funds to enable them to buy a pump, but this has proved difficult for them since most of the church members are economically unstable. The rehab well requires a hand pump that will help the church members have easy access to water.
The well was well covered and has no damage. It only requires a thorough clean up which will be done by flushing so as to get out all the dirty water, allowing a fresh recharge. After flushing the well, construction of a new well pad will be done, and there after a pump will be installed. Once the well has been rehabilitated, the church will be able to sustain the well. This will be made possible by the fact that water will be sold to the neighboring communities, and part of the church offerings will be set aside for maintenance and operations.
For a long period of time, the church has suffered and is forced to look for water from a stream, which contains contaminated water. To some extent, the church is forced to buy water during conferences and other church events like weddings and this has proved to be expensive for them.
CURRENT WATER SOURCE
The church currently has an access to a river, which is 3km away. Women are forced to carry water containers from their homes during church events. Water is directly contaminated from the water point since dirty containers are used as water storage facilities.
POPULATION
The church has a population of 300 Christians, 50 nursery children and 50 other households from the surrounding communities.
HYGIENE & SANITATION
The church has 2 latrines. There are no hand washing stations in place. No fecal matter is seen on the floor of the latrines.
The latrines are cleaned every Sunday of the week by the Christians.
The church has a central place for dumping litter.
Bridge Water Project is set to conduct training on proper hygiene and sanitation for the Christians and the community members.
ASSESSING THE NEED
Water is needed in this church mainly for the purpose of drinking, washing, cooking, and other related activities.
PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
The project will be of great benefit to the church and will be open to the entire community of Emaondo village.
WATER COMMITTEE
A strong water committee will be formed with the help of the Bridge Water Project staff to ensure proper sustainability of the water project once it is rehabilitated.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION:
HYGIENE AND SANITATION TRAINING
Ebenezer church lacked access to clean and safe water in which goes hand in hand with proper hygiene and sanitation practices. With this absence of access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation practices are the major problem. The training was conducted for the church members including the Sunday school children on Sunday to address this problem. This was carried out in following activities:
1. Problem identification
2. Problem analysis
3. Identification of solutions
Members were asked to name the diseases which affect them regularly. This was done in discussion using the seasonal calendar. Waterborne related diseases were the most frequent diseases, for example typhoid, diarrhea and malaria. Members learned that this was mostly caused because of poor practices of hygiene and sanitation.
To emphasize proper hygiene and sanitation, a set of good and bad posters were distributed to the church member. They discussed among themselves water treatment methods and the proper use of latrines. This helped them understand more about hygiene and sanitation practices by changing behaviors. The facilitator emphasized critical moments of hand washing.
PAD CONSTRUCTION AND PUMP INSTALLATION
Well pad construction was the next activity in implementing Ebenezer water project. Much of cement work was to be done. Cement, sand, concrete and ballast were mixed in the plastering of the well pad. This was done with keenness to avoid contamination of the well. The well pad was left to cure waiting for pump installation.
After three days curing, the well was installed with a new Afridev pump. Finally the well was handed over to the church members. The excitement they felt was visible on their faces, especially Sunday school children.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE THIS PROJECT POSSIBLE!
