December, 2023: Komrabai Community Well Completed!
We are excited to share that there is now a safe, reliable borehole well at Komrabai Community. As a result, community members no longer rely on unsafe water to meet their daily needs. We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.
Community members celebrate the new well!
15-year-old Kadiatu K. shared, "I am a student, and I thank God for this new water point in my community; I'm so happy. Before this time, we have been suffering for water. As a schoolgirl, in the morning, I must fetch water from the swamp to fill up the water cans before leaving for school. Sometimes, I crossed the Port Loko highway to fetch water, which was risky. Some of my peers have been hit by motorbikes trying to make the same crossing. But today, we thank God, all our suffering is over."
Kadiatu (right, in the pink shirt) excited about clean water!
"I'm happy for this water point at my doorstep. It has not been easy for me before this time. Every day before school, I must fetch water to wash all the dirty plates and pots. By the time I finish all my house chores and prepare myself for school, I would be late. The distance from my community to the school is far, and I have to walk to school every day. Now that I have water in front of my house, all my punishments are over. I will now have enough time to read my books and pass my examination. I want to thank you [for your] restless effort to provide safe drinking water, especially for the school-going children. May the good Lord provide for you more to help others in need," continued Kadiatu.
Adults were just as elated as the children.
29-year-old Teacher Mabinty Kamara said, "Going through the hygiene training has created a positive impact in my life, let alone the construction of a new borehole. This is the first time we have been blessed with a borehole in the community. Day and night, as a parent, I worry about the safety of my children when they are fetching water across the road at the only available water point. Apart from the safety, my community can now boast access to a safe water source that will be monitored and chlorinated regularly. It is an assurance to know such care is going to be put into the safety of my people. I can sleep at night [knowing] there are people set to constantly monitor the water. What more could we ask for? As a teacher, hygiene is taught in the schools, but what I have learned was more in-depth than any lessons taught at the school."
Mabinty pouring clean water!
"As a teacher, cleanliness is very important. Coming home from work, I dreaded crossing the road to fetch water or send my children. Most times, depending on the condition of the road, I would prefer to cross the road myself to prevent my children from exposure to speeding vehicles. Now, I have a sufficient supply of water throughout the day. I know the worries of speeding vehicles are no longer a concern for the community who live on the side of the highway with the new borehole. The Mosque is also going to get an increased number of worshippers simply because there is water available," concluded Mabinty.
Celebrating the new well!
We held a dedication ceremony to officially hand over the well to the community members. Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Port Loko District Council and the Ministry of Water Resources. Each official gave a short speech thanking everyone who contributed to this water project and reminding everyone to take good care of it. Then, Kadiatu and Mabinty made statements on their community's behalf. The celebration started with joyous songs and prayers and concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing!
New Well
The drill team arrived the day before beginning work. They set up camp and unpacked all their tools and supplies to prepare for drilling the next day. The community provided space for the team to store their belongings and meals for the duration of their stay.
The next day, the team began to drill. We reached a final depth of 18 meters. The team did a soil test and forcefully pumped clean water into the well to remove any dirt and debris from the drilling process.
Drilling begins!
Next, the team bailed the well and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. This well has a static water level of 9 meters. Finally, we tested the yield to ensure the well would provide clean water with minimal effort at the pump.
Yield test.
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 runoff and spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which can be uncomfortable and unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Pad construction.
At last, we installed the pump and conducted a water quality test. The test results showed that this was clean water fit for drinking!
New Knowledge
Before conducting any hygiene training, we called and visited the local water user committee to understand the community's challenges and lack of sanitation facilities. We shared the findings from our discussions with the committee members to help them make the necessary adjustments before the training began. For example, we identified households without handwashing stations or ones that may need to repair their latrines. With this information, community members worked together to improve hygiene and sanitation at home.
After this preparatory period, we scheduled a time when members from each household using the water point could attend a three-day hygiene and sanitation training. We then dispatched our teams to the agreed-upon location to hold the meeting.
Handwashing demonstration.
Training topics covered included handwashing and tippy taps, good and bad hygiene habits, teen pregnancy, worms and parasites, proper dental hygiene, menstrual hygiene, proper care of the well's pump, keeping the water clean, the cost recovery system, the importance of using dish racks and clotheslines, the importance of toilets, keeping latrines clean, balanced diets, the diarrhea doll, and disease transmission and prevention (including COVID-19, Ebola, Hepatitis, HIV and AIDS).
Dental hygiene lesson.
The most memorable training topic was surrounding maternal and child health. The nurse shared the importance of receiving prenatal medical care and delivering in a hospital. Mabinty shared an experience that caught the attention of all training participants. She said that after carrying her pregnancy to term, she was blessed to deliver the baby safely at home. Seven months later, the baby developed a rash first treated with native leaves and herbs. The condition of the baby got worse, and finally, when all else had failed, the father decided to take the baby to the hospital for treatment. The baby was examined and diagnosed with measles. The baby was treated, and immunizations were administered, as she hadn't received any immunizations.
Unfortunately, the baby had complications with her eardrum. Now six years old, she has hearing ear loss in one of her ears. In a country with reduced medical services, it is a very big challenge for a child to live with a disability, especially in rural areas. Mabinty sent her daughter to Freetown, a larger city, to stay with a family member. She is always brought to tears whenever she sees her daughter. She pleaded with all participants to ensure their children receive immunizations and that all pregnant women regularly visit the hospital for proper checkups, and encouraged participants to adhere to the education they had received.
Conclusion
This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. When an issue arises concerning the well, community members are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact their local field officers to assist them.
Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.
With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we're working toward complete coverage. That means reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!
Thank you for making all of this possible!
Rehabilitation Project
