Rehabilitation Project
The people that live near 10 Calaba Road in Yongoroo currently depend on water from a local stream for their water needs and projects that produce income.
A few years ago the hand-dug wells in the area would have been sufficient for the people in the community, but since then the population has significantly increased and the effects of global warming have made an impact, drying up the wells. As more and more people move into the community, the need for access to safe water also increases.
When wells have no water community members must rely on streams of water wherever they can find them and regardless of their cleanliness. But streams are also beginning to dry up causing great concern for people in the community.
As a result of drinking contaminated water, water-related illnesses such as typhoid, dysentery, and diarrhea affect most members of the community. In 2012, the most-feared disease, cholera wreaked havoc on the community with an expected large loss of lives.
Agnes N., age 15 said, "Both my parents came from the southern part of the country. I was born here and have lived here all my life with no memory of anywhere else. Most of my older siblings have long moved out and started families of their own. At first, I thought it was a good thing until I realized all the chores are left for me and the other girls that my parents are raising."
Agnes went on to describe her daily routine, "It is clockwork. We get up at the same time every day to go and fetch water to be used but it never seems to be enough. My mother works and there is a neighbor that prepares food for us and she uses all the water we fetch for her and her children.
"One day I looked my parents in the face and told them I am old enough to start cooking after school. I took up the responsibility and luckily I have been doing it now for several years. I have learned a lot about cooking but I have also reduced the number of trips I make to the stream daily."
Abu Bakar Kamara, an agriculturist and comedian, age 29, shared how important water is to his livelihood and the care of his parents. "My main source of income and livelihood is agriculture. I plant vegetables and fruits, which I sell to buy rice and other household condiments. My profession needs a steady supply of water all year round."
He continued, "We have fertile soil that can pretty much produce any crop. I have a large plot of land nearby the family house that I use to plant tomatoes, one of the high-income fruits. It brings in a lot of money for me and my family. It requires great care, fertilizer, and water to yield a great harvest.
"I am the sole provider for my parents and water should always be readily available. They are very old and can no longer make their way to the swamp but with water, they can exercise by engaging in minimal household gardening, more so for my mother. My father spends the day lounging under the large tree enjoying the cool sea breeze."
The proposed borehole will be drilled on the property of a community member who volunteered her land, ideally located away from any toilet facility that could disrupt the quality of water. It will drastically reduce the number of people going to other parts of the community in search of water and provide them with clean, safe water that will restore health and allow people to pursue projects to enrich their daily lives.
What we can do:
New Well
Where we will be drilling is centrally located and will relieve many people of the long journey to fetch water and the challenge of accessing clean water.
Our team will drive over the LS200 mud rotary drill rig and set up camp for a couple of nights. Once the well is drilled to a sufficient water column, it will be cased, developed, and then tested. If these tests are positive, our mechanics will install a new India Mark II pump.
By drilling this borehole, the surrounding community will be provided with plenty of accessible, clean drinking water.
Training
There will be hygiene and sanitation training sessions offered for three days in a row.
Community members will learn how to make a hands-free handwashing station called the "tippy-tap." We will use these tippy taps for handwashing demonstrations and will also teach about other tools like dish racks and the importance of properly penning in animals. We will highlight the need to keep restrooms clean, among many other topics.
This training will also strengthen a water user committee that will manage and maintain this new well. They will enforce proper behavior and report to us whenever they need our help in solving a serious problem, like a pump breakdown.
