September, 2021: Targrin, #1032 Airport Ferry Road Well Complete!

We are excited to share a safe, reliable water point at Targrin in Sierra Leone is now providing clean water to students and neighboring community members! We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.

"I found it hard to fetch water for my house," said 17-year-old Mariatu. "Sometimes I could not succeed to carry water home after a long stay at the well. My mother always accused me of being around with boys rather than putting effort to fetch water and return home early. I am happy now that this water point has brought a water source close to my house. It is easy to fetch without delay."

Mariatu at the well.

"Today is one of the best days in this community," said Fatmata Kasama, 31. "I must say thanks. I am happy because I now have safe water source that I can easily reach. I could not get safe water in this community, especially during the dry season. I had to buy bundles of packaged water. Now, I cannot hesitate to drink water from this well, because I am sure that it is pure to drink."

We held a dedication ceremony to officially hand over the rehabilitated well to the Targrin community members, which was attended by several local dignitaries, who all expressed their appreciation for the new source of reliable water for the community. Mariatu and Fatmata each made statements explaining why the well was so important to them. There was singing and dancing as well as a prayer session.

Osman Fofanah, from the Ministry of Water Resources, makes his statement.

Clean Water Restored

Originally, this site had been chosen for a solar borehole. However, when the drill team arrived and surveyed the area, they found that the soil was not the kind necessary for a solar set-up. Though the drill team returned twice with different drill bits in attempts to make a solar borehole work, they were forced to create just a borehole well, which will still supply plenty of water for the community members of Targrin.

The drill team arrived the day before beginning work. They set up camp and unpacked all of their tools and supplies to prepare for drilling the next day. The community provided space for the team to store their belongings, along with meals for the duration of their stay. The following day, the work began.

First, we raised the tripod, the structure we use to hold and maneuver each of the drilling tools. Next, we measured the well's original depth. We then socketed the pipes and installed a casing.

Finally, we lined up the drill rods and started to drill! We reached a final depth of 12 meters with water at 9 meters. The hand-drill method allowed the team to install the cylinder far below the aquifer so that the community has great water access throughout the year.

With drilling complete, we installed screening and a filter pack to keep out debris when the water is pumped. We then cemented an iron rod to the well lining and fixed it with an iron collar at the top. Next, we bailed the well by hand for three days and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. Finally, we tested the yield to ensure the well would provide clean water with minimal effort at the pump.

As the project neared completion, we built a cement platform, walls, and drainage system around the well to seal it off from surface-level contaminants. The drainage system helps to redirect runoff and spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which can not only be uncomfortable but unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

At last, we installed the stainless steel India Mk11 pump and conducted a water quality test. The test results showed that this is clean water fit for drinking!

New Knowledge

Before conducting any hygiene training, we made repeated phone calls and visits to the local water user committee to better 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 multi-day hygiene and sanitation training. We then dispatched our teams to the agreed-upon location to hold the meeting.

Training topics covered included handwashing and tippy taps, good and bad hygiene habits, disease transmission and prevention, worms and parasites, dental hygiene, proper care of the well's pump, keeping the water clean, the cost recovery system, dish racks and clotheslines, the importance of toilets, keeping latrines clean, balanced diets, the diarrhea doll, and HIV and AIDS.

Attendance for the training was good - 68% of households were represented, with 203 participants in total.

Ramatu Kamara, a local teacher who attended the training, expressed her appreciation for the new knowledge. "It has come to my knowledge that many diseases we had been suffering from, especially cholera and diarrhea, are due to our poor hygiene practices. This training has helped broaden my knowledge on how to care for ourselves and [our] surroundings. A teacher like me who deals with tender-aged children needs these skills."

This community's most memorable topic was disease transmission. Some participants pointed out fellow community members who have poor hygiene practices. These outed individuals graciously accepted fault and promised to remember what they had been taught during the training. They will address open defecation in the community by buying or finding tins for children who are too young to use latrines, and parents will always keep them clean.

Participants demonstrate how a disease passes from one person to another.

Mohamed Bangura, an elderly member of the community, reminded his fellow community members how the previous outbreak of cholera killed thousands of people in the community due to their poor hygiene and sanitation. He reminded everyone that they are almost in the rainy season, when diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery are more prominent. He pleaded with his fellow community members to follow the advice of the training.

For her part, student Fatmata S. understood through the training to take COVID-19 seriously. "At first, I had no worries about the virus because I and other community members were never convinced about the reality of it. But through this training, I have heard some truth that triggered me to worry about this disease since I have learned how contagious it is. This training has served as an eye-opener to us in this community."

"Now, as a trader, I can easily fetch water from this well to do my domestic works early and go the market to sell my goods on time," said Fatmata Kasama.

"I am happy because I can now make more sales and realize more profit to support my family. It is quite simple now to fetch enough water from this well to clean my household material and the bath and latrine shelter."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

August, 2021: Lungi, Targrin, #1032 Airport Ferry Road Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Lungi drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this community through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!