Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program

Impact: 60 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Feb 2025

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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Community Profile

The 60 community members living in this part of Rogberay have gone years without a safe, close water source, and they are tired and frustrated.

"The water situation in this community is really disturbing me," said 25-year-old farmer Ramatu Kargbo, shown below carrying water home.

Since community members have no other option, everyone is forced to collect water from the swamp. But the swamp is the same place where they do their laundry and bathe, and where wildlife gets water as well.

"Over the years, I have been fetching water from the swamp. Fetching water from the swamp is not easy mainly [because] the swamp is too far [away] and the water is not even good for laundering [clothes], not to talk of drinking. But I have no choice but to drink from it," said Ramatu, collecting swamp water below.

Ramatu recounted a time when she was attacked by a snake at the waterpoint, which led her to make a very difficult decision.

"There was a time I went with my child to the swamp, and I was attacked by a snake. Thank God some of the young men were around. They intervened and killed the snake. This really makes me be afraid. Whenever I want to fetch water from the swamp, I must leave my baby at home. The child would be crying, but I have no choice but to leave him at home. This is really beyond my wish, but I must do that," said Ramatu.

Ramatu is overwhelmed by the challenges she faces and is losing hope. Every season presents a different problem. During the rainy season, flooding makes the swamp water so muddy she can't stand to use it and relies on what she can collect in rain barrels. In the dry season, water is so scarce she must delay important tasks like watering her garden, bathing her child, or washing her baby's diapers.

And the situation is similar for the children in the community, too.

"I must do one or more trips before going to school in the morning. This is really not easy for me because of the distance and waiting time. By the time I do two trips, I would already be late for school," said 14-year-old Fatmata K., shown below carrying water back from the swamp.

"There was a time in which I saw a snake. I dropped the container and ran as fast [as] I could just to escape the danger. Although I was fortunate to escape, the water container I left at the swamp was stolen," recounted Fatmata.

"Similarly, the weight of the container and the long walking distances make me to be feeble. I would not be able to get enough energy to study at night [since] all my energy would have been utilized to fetch water throughout the day, and this is affecting my performance at school," concluded Fatmata.

The heartbreaking choices people in this community are forced to make should not be. Providing them with their own well will relieve that burden and allow them to hope again.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Project Updates


February, 2025: Rogberay Community Well Complete!

We are excited to share that your donation provided a safe, reliable well in the Rogberay Community. As a result, community members no longer rely on unsafe water to meet their daily needs. We conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.

27-year-old Ramatu Kargbo shared, "As a farmer in this community, farming has been my livelihood, and it has also played a great role in the life of other community people. With regard to that, farming can only become successful if there is adequate water within the community. Before going to the farm, I need sufficient water so that the farming work will be easy for me. It was difficult to get water before this time, and that made farming work tedious and slow. With this new waterpoint, I will be able to go to my farm on time and do the work that needs to be done at the farm."

Ms Kargbo (right) pours clean water.

The community youth were just as excited as the adults!

16-year-old Fatmata expressed, "With the help of [a] reliable water source within the community, things will improve for me. To start with, I am a school-going pupil, and things have improved for me because I can now get access to water within a short period of time. As a result of that, I am able to get safe water for drinking, and I am no longer affected by waterborne diseases because of drinking unsafe water. My academic performance has also improved because I always go to school on time and have more time to read my notes than before. The newly completed water point will also help me to improve on my hygiene practice, because the water point can provide enough water for me and the community as a whole."

Fatmata (right) enjoying clean water!

After construction was complete, we held a dedication ceremony to officially give responsibility for the well to the water users. Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including representatives from The Ministry of Water Resources and the Port Loko District Council. Each official gave a short speech thanking those who contributed to this water project and reminding everyone to care for it. Then, Ramatu and Fatmata made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

New Well

The community provided space for the drill team to store their belongings and meals for the duration of their stay. We were ready to begin drilling!

Drilling in progress.

We drilled until we reached a final depth of 22 meters. The team did a soil test, bailed the well, and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. This well has a static water level of 11 meters. Finally, we tested the water flow to ensure the well would provide clean water with minimal effort at the pump.

Testing water flow.

As the project neared completion, we built a cement platform, walls, and drainage system around the well to seal it from surface-level contaminants. The drainage system helps to redirect spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which is unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Constructing the pad.

Finally, we installed the pump and conducted a water quality test. The results showed the water was fit for drinking!

The newly installed pump.

Community Education

Before conducting any hygiene training, we collaborated with the local water user committee to understand the community’s challenges. We identified households without handwashing stations. With this information, community members worked together to improve hygiene and sanitation at home before the training.

Training in session.

We also invited a nurse from the local clinic to help explain some topics and spread awareness about Sierra Leone's free vaccinations for children under five. Nurse Fatmata Kamara was instrumental in reinforcing each lesson.

We scheduled a time when members from each household using the waterpoint could attend a three-day hygiene and sanitation training and dispatched our teams to hold the meeting.

We taught the participants about proper handwashing, personal and menstrual hygiene, and healthy habits such as using latrines and maintaining a balanced diet. We discussed how disease transmission and water hygiene are crucial to community health. We emphasized the importance of maintaining and caring for the well pump and the cost recovery system.

Field Officer Alimamy Lamin Kanu said about the group, "The participant's commitment and enthusiasm for the hygiene training was satisfactory. Some community members [told other] people to pay attention and listen very well as this was their first time [receiving] hygiene training in their community, and they were able to learn [the] latest ideas. Everybody was eager to learn, and they focused [on] each lesson that was introduced to them. In the end they were able to give meaningful contributions and learned new things."

Ms. Kargbo (far left) participated in the training.

Ms. Kargbo, who shared previously, found the training profoundly impactful. "This training very much impacted me, and I was able to learn about health and sanitation and how to abstain from activities that spread illness. I [was] happy to attend this training, and I gained [the] latest ideas. Taking your child to the clinic will help the baby to receive vaccines, which will prevent the child from diseases like polio, malaria, measles, etc. I will make sure I go with my baby to the clinic when sick. Also, I will pass on this to my colleagues."

Thank you for making all of this possible!




December, 2024: Exciting Progress in Rogberay Community!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Ramatu and the entire Rogberay Community. Construction has begun on the well project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the community with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water in the Rogberay Community!




Project Photos


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

Project Sponsor - The Larry Franklin Living Trust