October, 2018: A Year Later: Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to restore water to Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local 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...

January, 2018: Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School Project Complete

Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School in Gbainty Bunlor, Sierra Leone now has a well that provides clean water throughout the year, thanks to your donation! Hundreds of students and community members no longer have to search for alternative sources of water and then suffer the dangerous effects of drinking that water. Hygiene and sanitation training was also conducted, which focused on healthy practices such as washing hands and using latrines. This water and new knowledge give the school and community a great foothold in eliminating water and sanitation-related illness. Please enjoy this update detailing all of the work that was done at Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School, and be sure to check out the tons of new pictures!

Thank You for unlocking potential for these students and their families. You made clean water a reality, and now you have a chance to make sure it keeps flowing. Join our team of monthly donors and help us, our caretakers, and our mechanics maintain this well and hundreds of other projects!

Project Result: New Knowledge

We worked with the headmistress of the school and its teachers to determine the best time to hold hygiene and sanitation training. The students of course turned out in high numbers, and we were pleased to see that the teachers invited a bunch of the parents as well. Since a lot of the information taught was new to participants, children and adults participated well together during different activities. They did role plays together, group discussions, and demonstrations.

Some of the parents at training

There was a demonstration with the trainer walking around shaking hands with all the participants. Each individual noticed a glittery shine on their hands after the handshakes. This introduced a practical lesson: What are you seeing on your hands? They answer by saying “we are seeing shine-shine on our hands,” and that’s when the facilitators bring home the idea that these signify germs. We are always vulnerable to them, and need to keep clean by practicing good personal hygiene. This set us up for a strong transition into how to make hand-washing stations. When schools reopen after the holidays, the team will return to make sure that hand-washing stations are in place.

Making hand-washing stations out of jerrycans, string, and sticks

On the second day, the facilitator used posters to teach the differences between good and bad hygiene. There was a bit of finger-pointing as peers blamed each other for bad habits, but the facilitator kept turning this into encouragement to do the right thing. The teachers were also encouraged to build dish racks for the traders who sell food in the school compound. When school opens, the teachers will have a pit dug behind the school for garbage and a dish and food rack set up for those selling food on school grounds.

Students helping the trainer by holding illustrations of good and bad hygiene practices.

The final day, we continued these types of discussions. While on the first day we had led people through hand-washing station construction, this third day was similar in that we elaborated on the need for and the viability of building other sanitation facilities like latrines, dish racks, and animal pens. We taught participants what materials to use, proving that even the poorest family in the community can afford to build a traditional pit latrine. This day was especially important because we taught participants how to properly manage and maintain their water source.

Participants asked so many good questions throughout training, such as "If we can't afford toothpaste, what else can we use?" and "How can we keep animals out of our food?"

Teacher Isatu Kanu said, "We have the conviction and believe that by your intervention, changes will come. We are happy about your stepping in to sensitize us about personal hygiene. At the very beginning of the training, we have observed some changes in the lives of the pupils. The boys have improved in their personal hygiene by having a nice and low haircut and bathe every morning before coming to school. The girls also take good care of their appearance with nice plaited hair. Their application of what they have learnt from the training does not only end there but is even in their homes. For example, as I was passing in the neighborhood one evening, I saw a hand-washing station hung on a mango tree. When asked who did it, I was surprised to learn that it was one of our pupils who have hung it. That shows how the training has actually gained momentum. I am not only pleased about it but am very much happy about it. I am pleading that such training will be repeated."

Isatu Kanu

Project Result: A Reliable Water Well

We spearheaded a new method of converting the bottom of a hand-dug well into a borehole. When we started this process, the well was at 48 feet deep and had absolutely no water.

The team set up the tripod and pulley over the well and opened it up to prepare for drilling with a hand auger.

First, they installed 6″ PVC casing through the hatch cover down to the bottom of the well. This ensured that the drilling began straight and also kept the hole from collapsing. They connected the bucket auger drill bit to the drilling rod and lowered it into the well, continuing to add more drill rods until they hit the bottom. Each drill rod is 18 feet in length and every time the team empties the bucket auger, they must reverse the process by disconnecting the rods until the drill bit can be emptied. This method is more labor intensive, but working from the top was much safer in this circumstance. There are different drill bits for different conditions, a special bit just for clay, one for sand, one for rocks and one combination bit for all three conditions.

Drilling

The team met sand for a short time but it quickly turned to clay. There was 10 feet of clay and then it turned back to fine white sand. It was tough to remove this sand, since it kept sinking back into the hole. With a lot of ingenuity and perseverance, the team was able to clear 71 feet of sand. Once there, they sealed the bottom with cement to prevent siltation.

They lowered casing slotted for screen from 55 to 70 feet, and then dumped seven buckets of filter pack between the two casings. The team could then hoist out the temporary casing.

Iron rods were cemented into the well lining and attached to the casing to support the weight of the PVC and keep it straight from bottom to top. The team welded a collar in the pump base to further support the casing.

The well was developed by bailing; two men bailed by hand for four days to ensure proper development. The well could then be tested by installing a submersible pump at 65 feet and using it for one hour. The team measured the discharge, which was 650 gallons. We are excited that the static water level at 46 feet deep remained the same throughout the entire test. Thus, the yield is 40 liters per minute.

With this great success, we could build a new walled well pad and install the new stainless steel hand-pump.

A large crowd of people including both students and their parents gathered to celebrate the completion of their new borehole. There was singing and dancing, and both school and community leaders stepped up to offer their thanks. The headmistress said that words failed her, while we assured the school that there will no longer be a need for organizations to step in and do a water project at their school; this borehole will provide reliable clean water.

Teachers and parents joined their students in tasting their first sips of clean water from this new, hand-drilled borehole!

Teacher Dominic Turay said, "The distance from our previous water source to the school is very far. Sending down the pupils to fetch water from there had always been a worry in our lives. Drinking from the swamp water had also been a challenge for us. Our frequent cases of sickness was from it, but there had been no other option for us except that source. Our pupils will always complain of illness and there was nothing the community could do about it. Drinking from pure and safe water source has always been something we yearn for. We are filled with joy and happiness for the fact that Mariatu ’s Hope and The Water Project have extended this wonderful privilege to us to be among those communities who now can boast of having pure drinking water."

Teacher Dominic Turay

12-year-old Isatu Kargbo told us his story: "Repeating my story is indeed an unpleasant thing, and memories of it always bring tears to my eyes. The incident that changed my life took place in 2016. It was one afternoon when I went down to the swamp to fetch water. On my way going, I saw a big snake crossing the road towards me. Filled with fear, I tried to run towards the other side of the road when unfortunately I was knocked down by a car. I was seriously hit to the point that I experienced unimaginable pain at that moment. That incident has left me with continuous headaches and sometimes my nose bleeds. When I think of my present situation, I wonder why such a terrible thing happened to me. Being the eldest of four children in a poor family like ours adds more pain to the injury. My mother has much concern for me may at times want to do more about my health situation, but could only afford the traditional herbs for treatment because there is no money to take me to the hospital. What is more pitiful about my family is that my mother is a widow. I have no father to support mum and the going for her is not easy. ...I thought to myself that had it been that there was a reliable well in my school where we were to fetch water without going down to the swamp, probably I would not have experienced such an unfortunate situation. Nonetheless, I now console myself with the idea that my peers will not experience what I am going through. Truly speaking, I am very much grateful to Mariatu’s Hope and The Water Project for rehabilitating this well in our school. Thanks very much for rescuing others from such an unpleasant happening."

November, 2017: Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School Project Underway

Gbaneh Bana SLMB Primary School in Sierra Leone will soon have a source of safe, clean water because of your donation! A dry well is being deepened, and the students, teachers, and parents will receive training in sanitation and hygiene. Imagine the difference these resources will make for this school and their community!

We just posted an initial report from our partner in the field including an introduction to the community, maps, and pictures. We’ll keep you updated as the work progresses.

Thank You for caring for the thirsty!