Rehabilitation Project
This well rehabilitation project is part of the Waterloo, Penninsula Jr. Secondary 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. The well is located at a primary school.
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 Waterloo, Penninsula Jr. Secondary 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 project completion, our implementing partner reported...
"A team member stated, 'It was memorable to see the excitement by the staff, patients and their family members during the hygiene training. In addition to rehabilitating the well, we are repairing four drains on the sinks and two faucets so the water can go from the holding tank to inside the facility; bringing it back to life. Dr. Koroma and the staff are very excited about this project and are so thankful. Words cannot truly express their gratitude to The Water Project and their donors! You just have no idea!'
When the team arrived, community members were utilizing a river located 7 - 8 kilometers away from the community as their primary source of water. Because of this, community families were suffering from cholera, dysentery, typhoid and malaria. During the team's stay, community members assisted the team with the water project whenever possible and provided security over the project during the night. The majority of community members sustain a living by teaching, petty trading, working in the medical field or in other professions. The nearest school is located .1 of a kilometer away from the community whose students, teachers and administrative personnel all have access to the new, safe water source. There is
health clinic located in the community with 24 beds and who treats 1,000 patients in this community and surrounding communities. The most common diseases treated at the clinic are AIDS, TB, amoebas, malaria, typhoid, cholera and dysentery. Before leaving the community, the team provided community member, Minkailu Swarray, with a contact number in case their well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft.
The team had an opportunity to meet with forty-three year old community member and Director of Nursing at the local health clinic, James Abu, who stated, 'For some time now we have had to go to the stream to get water just so we could keep the hospital clean and the patients would have water to wash. We would have to go to the stream twice a day unless we could buy water. We couldn't even drink this water, which forced us to have to buy water for drinking. We're so thankful for this well rehabilitation. Not only do we have water to clean, wash clothes and take baths, we now have water that is pure to drink. We are so thankful. Truly, this is just marvelous!'
This is the Adventist Health International Hospital located in Waterloo. This project is located in the catchment community for the Penninsula Sr. Secondary School project. This medical facility is open 24 hours a day, and the hospital opened September 2, 2000 and has a staff of 24. There is one doctor on staff with an occasional visit from international doctors. There is an ambulance service, laboratory, inpatient ward, private, semi-private rooms, operating room. X-rays are not available yet, but are hoping to have this capability in the near future. All the staff attended the training, as well as some of their inpatients who were mobile and well enough to attend. The training took place over four days and was a really great time. At the present time, because of the water problem, there is no running water throughout the facility unless they pay for a delivery. Otherwise, they get their water from the stream. The team made tippy taps to install in each of the exam rooms and on the wards so there would be some place besides a bowl to wash their hands. Additionally, a tippy tap was made for the pharmacy area and laboratory. Some of the people brought extra containers the next day after making the first tippy taps because they were so excited, they wanted to have one at home!
This hospital is part of the Seventh Day Adventist ministry. This well is also the back up well for the 7th Day Primary School which is located next door to the hospital. The team showed the Jesus Film on the final day and held a baptism at the river. At the dedication ceremony, the Gospel was presented and 500 Bibles were distributed. There was Bible storying shared and before leaving the community, the team had an opportunity to establish a partnership with the local church and local missionary who will continue to cultivate community members after the team leaves the area.
