Rehabilitation Project
This well rehabilitation project is part of the Foo Foo Water, Huntingdon Primary School School Zone.
The team has visited the well site and determined that this project will require deepening before they can attach a new well pump.
Recent severe droughts in the area have caused most of the wells we are now encountering to require this deepening. Without it, the wells are at risk of drying up later in the year. This has caused very long delays in our program here, though we're glad that progress is still being made.
The well project is in one of the communities surrounding the Foo Foo Water, Huntingdon Primary School. Students at this school live in the this community. Once the well projects are completed, these students will have access to clean, safe water at their school and at home. The students are also being trained how to teach their fellow community members about proper hygiene.
Upon completion of this project our implementing partner reported...
"A team member commented, 'There is unity in this village. The people were eager to hear the Word of God and were eager to receive Him and change their ways.' When the team arrived, community members were utilizing a water source located two kilometers away from the community as their primary source of water. Because of this, residents were suffering from cholera, dysentery, typhoid and malaria. The community’s practice of informal defecation also greatly contributes to the spread of disease in the area and it is hoped that after hygiene education, this practice will be stopped. During the team’s stay, community members assisted the team with the water project whenever possible and provided food for the drill team during the day. The majority of community members sustain a living by farming and trading and the nearest school is located two kilometers away from the community. Before leaving the area, the team provided a contact number with community member, Abdulai Fornah, in case their well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft.
The team had an opportunity to meet with thirty-nine year old community member and gardener, Memuna Kamara, who stated, 'During the time the pump was spoiled we walked from the very far end to fetch water, and it was stressful. We didn't have pure drinking water at all. The new pump is good. It is secure, pure and good for drinking. I'm happy about this.'
This community is part of the catchment for Newton, Foo Foo Water, Huntingdon Primary School. The Child Health Club will be visiting this community to sensitize them about the need to stop open defecation and the need for every house to have a native toilet or pit latrine. The team implemented the hygiene training with the community. There were 90 adults and 25 children who attended the training. There were 68 ORS spoons distributed, and the community stated that the hygiene training was really acceptable because of the things we taught them. It touched their hearts and they made a clear promise to us that they will put into practice the things we taught them in the future.
