Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - May 2017

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/22/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Welcome to the Community

Everyone living in this area is part of the police force in some way or another. This fact sets this area of Tintafor apart from the rest. The day starts whenever someone is called in for duty.

The police force for Tintafor is made up of people from all different tribes and backgrounds, but all have come together to keep their community safe. It's not only the men of the family on the force, but often the wives have earned titles for themselves as well. These couples send their children to schools within walking distance of the barracks.

Water Situation

There are 692 people living in and around the barracks who have relied on two hand-dug wells since their installation back in 2011. (Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. To learn more, click here.)

Unfortunately, the wells have been less than reliable for the hundreds using them. During the dry season, which can last anywhere from two to six months, one of these wells completely dries up. The entire community then moves to fetch water from the other well. Waiting in line for one of the two wells would be stressful before, but it becomes unimaginable with just one functioning well during the dry season. Whether one or two wells, there are large crowds waiting at all times of the day.

Since the wait is so long, users normally bring the largest container they can carry. Once your chance arrives and goes, there's someone else to immediately take your place.

And as the second well is overused during the dry season, the water levels drop and it takes much longer to fill just one container. Repairs required to keep this second well up and running are astronomical. There have been 10 just since 2015! With this water shortage, there's not enough to take care of animals. There's not enough water to clean, and the odor gets unbearable.

Sanitation Situation

Things would have looked good here 20 years ago when the police barracks first opened. All of the households were equipped with flush toilets, but now there's no indoor plumbing. These bathrooms are filthy, and become even filthier during the dry season.

Less than half of households have helpful tools like dish racks and clotheslines to dry belongings up off the ground. There are no hand-washing stations anywhere to be found.

The kitchen is where people house their animals. Sheep droppings litter the ground, and garbage is piled under a tree.

Attitudes here about hygiene and sanitation are terrible. There is wastewater that has pooled around one of the hand-dug wells, and it is never cleared. It is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other biting things. Children walk around with bare feet, increasing their changes of contracting other illnesses. The police motto is "a force for good," but they're definitely missing the chance to do that in their own barracks.

"Chickens are kept in kitchens, garbage pilled so high it looks like a hill. We are living in filth... These barracks need a total renovation. The toilets are almost filled. I myself have been sick with cholera, typhoid and not to mention malaria. We have been quarantined during the Ebola, quite a few of the quarters were restricted. We lost some of my colleagues. We need help, I might have to move out and rent some place else," said Mr. Abieyoseh.

Looking at the condition of their surroundings, it's doubtful we'll get any help at all with this project. The entire community relies on the government so much that they are not willing to make or do anything for themselves. We approached one police officer and asked him, "Why don't you guys repair your private quarters and your surroundings?" His reply was that you never know when you will be transferred.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

These training sessions will be stretched from the usual three hours a day to four hours. We may even have more than three days of these sessions!

The beneficiaries will be required to clean up their barracks, both inside and out. They will be taught how to properly house their animals and dispose of their garbage. They will be taught how to construct a hand-washing station and how to use it.

Training will also result in the formation of a water user committee that will take responsibility for their new well. The members will manage and maintain the pump to the best of their ability, and will call our office if they need a mechanic to make a repair.

Plans: Well Rehabilitation

The well marked for this overhaul needs major work to supply adequate, clean water to the community once again. The pump will be removed, and a man will be lowered inside with a hand auger. This hand auger will allow the team to drill several meters deeper to hit a new water table, which will ensure the well supplies water throughout the drier seasons. As the team drills, casing will be installed, transforming this hand-dug well into a pseudo-borehole. PVC piping will connect this lower system directly to the pump, a construction that we know will also improve the quality of water.

Once this plan is implemented, everyone within the community will have reliable access to safe water, even through the dry seasons.

Project Updates


September, 2018: A Year Later: Tintafor, Police Barracks

A year ago, generous donors helped construct a well for the community around the Police Barracks, C Line in Tintafor, Sierra Leone. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories. Read more...




Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.


A Year Later: Tintafor, Police Barracks, C Line

August, 2018

The nearby swamp used to be the most reliable source of water, until this well. Now people get safe water from this well year round.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Tintafor Community 2.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Tintafor Community 2 maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

A year ago, generous donors helped construct a well for the community around the Police Barracks, C Line in Tintafor, Sierra Leone. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from Madieu Turay with you.


Before, people would go to the swamp and fetch water due to the shortage of water in this community. But now, they have abandoned the swamp thanks to this newly rehabilitated water point.

"In previous years, we normally experienced cholera, diarrhea, malaria, and stomachaches. But during this past raining season we did not have a single disease case in this community," Mrs. Salamatu Sesay, caretaker of the pump, said.

Salamatu Sesay

We have seen a great improvement in hygiene and sanitation since the intervention of this project. These changes came about because of the Water User Committee training and the hygiene and sanitation training we did with the community.

"Before I didn't have enough time to study and even to worship my Lord, but now we have this well, I now have the time to study and worship my Lord," Mrs. Sesay’s 12-year-old daughter Fatama said.

Installation of the well is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

Fatmata Sesay

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This functional well in Tintafor Community is changing many lives.

This is not possible without the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise and how you can help.


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Tintafor Community 2 maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Tintafor Community 2 – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.


Contributors

Kalbarri Anglican Church
Mountain Vista High School (Sophomore English Class)
5 individual donor(s)