Rehabilitation Project
The people of Wusia have been deprived of safe drinking water for decades. Its 103 residents only have surface water to rely on that they collect from the swamp or, less frequently, rainwater.
But the water at the swamp and the rainwater collected both present issues. During the rainy season, rainwater flows into the swamp, collecting all types of debris and contamination on its way. The runoff causes the water to become muddied, and millipedes, frogs, and other aquatic organisms are found. And the rainwater collected off dirty rooves is often stored for too long and becomes ridden with slime.
During the dry season, much of the water in the swamp dries up. The drying makes the source more shallow, and it is easier for people collecting water to stir up dirt and contaminants from the bottom, lengthening the amount of time it takes for each person to collect.
"It is not easy to live in this village because of the shortage in water. The water that I fetch from the swamp is not good for my health, and sometimes I experience stomach pain after I have [to] drink the swamp water," said 35-year-old farmer Mariatu Kamara, shown below collecting water at the swamp.
At any time of the year, people spend a lot of time waiting for the water to clear, hoping it will become safer to consume, but it doesn't. Community members run the risk of contracting waterborne diseases that need medical attention. The most common ailments reported are diarrhea, malaria, and typhoid fever.
"The swamp water is not pure to drink, but I have no choice but [to] manage," said 12-year-old Adikalie K., shown below carrying water. "During the rainy season, it is hard for me to get clean water to drink and take my bath. The little I could fetch, I have to allow it to settle for [a] few minutes, or I filter it before using [it] because all [of the] debris are washed away and deposited into the swamp."
Regardless of the condition, as Mariatu and Adikalie shared, people in Wusia have no other choice than to use the water they can find. But it is difficult to get enough water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and laundry to execute their daily routines nevermind to provide food or a daily income through farming or palm oil production. Without sufficient water, community members find themselves in a holding pattern in life, unable to do anything above the basic daily routine.
"I hardly get enough water at my house to do all the domestic activities because it is difficult for me to fetch enough from the swamp," said Mariatu. "It is challenging to fetch water from the swamp in the evening after I have returned from the farm to prepare food for my family. My husband and children would hardly wait to get food to eat after I had finished cooking."
"The water problem in my village affects me greatly," said Adikalie. "In the morning, I collect my rubber [bucket] and rush to the swamp. I take my bath then, collect some water and return home and then prepare for school. When I [get] off from school, I have to fetch water to launder my uniform. After that, I must fetch water again to prepare food for us."
A well for the people of Wusia will bring relief and allow them the freedom to drink water they know is safer and easier to access. Hopefully, then they can dream about improving 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, Wusia and 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.
