Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program

Impact: 265 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - May 2021

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/17/2024

Project Features


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The Yongoroo community is the birthplace of the current Paramount Chief. The community has the largest number of fishing boats in the entire chiefdom. With fishermen coming from as far as Guinea and other fishing areas around the country.

The community is the location of the only radio station in the chiefdom which used to be one of the homes of the former president. It overlooks the Atlantic ocean and the thousands of people that practically live on the wharf waiting for the boats to dock. The pollution in the ocean waters has reduced the amount of fish caught on any given day.

The most common livelihood in this community is fishing, gardening, and petty trading. There are fertile swamps that are around the entire community. Seeing the trend of reduction in the amount of fish caught by fishermen, some families have started embarking on planting to help subsidize the income of the family. There are rows of okra, tomatoes, corn, garden eggs, and a lot more vegetables planted around the community.

The main water point for the 265 people here is located at the Mosque. The Mosque has made great strides in taking care of the water well with proceeds collected from the use of the pump saved for repairs and making additions to the structure.

Over the years the hand-dug well has seen a diminishing water table which affects the availability of water throughout the year.

"When it comes to fetching water, doing laundry, cooking cleaning and all other domestic work are for the women and girls. I remember at one time I wanted to do laundry and the pump was not functioning. I had to go to the nearby stream to laundry buckets of clothes," said Mariatu, a young girl we met at the well.

"Not having water readily available for worshippers will drive them away to other Mosques in the community," added Isrissa Kamara, the Headman for the community.

"This Mosque is the largest in the community and it is the sweat and labor of most members of this community. From the fees collected from this well were we able to improve and turn it into a standard Mosque with 2 levels. Seeing our children arguing for water pains my heart and with your help, we hope to bring it to an end."

Here’s what we’re going to do about it:

Well Rehabilitation

The well marked for this overhaul is dry for a few months every year and needs major work to supply adequate, clean water to the community year-round. The pump will be removed, and a hand auger will be lowered inside and powered by a drill team. This hand auger will allow the team to drill several meters deeper to hit a sufficient water column to ensure the well supplies water throughout all seasons.

As the team drills, a casing will be installed, transforming the bottom of this hand-dug well into a 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 access to safe drinking water in quality and quantity, even through the dry months.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training

There will be hygiene and sanitation training sessions offered for three days in a row.

After our visit, the hygiene and sanitation trainer decided it would be best to teach community members how to build a tippy tap (a hand-washing station built with a jerrycan, string, and sticks). They will use these tippy taps for handwashing demonstrations and will also teach about other tools like dish racks and the importance of properly penning in animals.

This training will also strengthen the water user committee that manages and maintains this well. They enforce proper behavior and report to us whenever they need our help solving a serious problem, like a pump breakdown.

Project Updates


May, 2021: Yongoroo, #7 Kamara Taylor Street Project Complete!

We are excited to share that a safe, reliable water point at Yongoroo in Sierra Leone is already 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.

"We were really in need of this water point. Because the responsibility of water in various homes in this community rests on our shoulders, we were getting up very early to go in search of water for drinking and other domestic purposes, and we were exposed to many dangers," said teenager Abibatu K.

"But now that this water point has been rehabilitated and is fully functional, I am sure that it will create a great impact by relieving us from the stress of waking up very early in the morning to go in search of water. This water point will help us to get more sleep and have more energy to focus on our studies."

Clean Water Restored

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 them to store their belongings and meals for the duration of their stay. The following day, the work began.

Here is how we restored clean, reliable water here:

- Raised the tripod

- Found the original depth

- Socketed the pipes

- Installed casing

- Lined up the drill rods

- Drilled!

We reached a final depth of 22.3 meters, with the water at 18.3 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.

- Installed screening and filter pack

- Cemented an iron rod to the well lining and fixed it with an iron collar at the top

- Bailed the well by hand for three days and flushed it

- Tested the yield

- Built a cement platform, walls, and drainage system

- Installed a stainless steel India Mk11 pump

- Conducted a water quality test

Installing the pump

Community members gathered to celebrate and dedicate the well. Those who came danced, celebrated, prayed, and sang songs of praise. The Imam, a Councilor, and representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources in the District joined in making merriments as their well was handed over to them.

Well dedication

"Before this time, people were really suffering in accessing safe water to drink and for other domestic purposes. Our children were also suffering by going in search of water very early in the morning and the evening after school because they always have the responsibility of making sure that water is always available in the home," said Headman Unisa Kamara in his remarks at the dedication.

"Now that this well is fully functional, I am sure to say all the worries of fetching clean water easily is a thing of the past. Now, our children will have a long time to sleep and also have enough time to concentrate on their studies after school."

New Knowledge

Before conducting any hygiene training, we make repeated phone calls and visits to the local water user committee to better understand the community’s challenges and lack of sanitation facilities. We share the findings from our discussions with the committee members to help them make the necessary adjustments before the training begins. For example, we identify households without handwashing stations or may need to repair their latrines. With this information, community members can work together to improve hygiene and satiation at home.

After that, we schedule a time when members from each household using the water point can attend multi-day hygiene and sanitation training. When that is set, we dispatch our teams to the agreed-upon location to hold the meeting.

Training topics covered included handwashing and tippy taps; good and bad hygiene; disease transmission and prevention; worms and parasites; proper care of teeth; proper care of the pump; keeping the water clean; the cost recovery system; dish racks and clotheslines; the importance of toilets; keeping the latrine clean; balanced diets; the diarrhea doll; and HIV and AIDS.

When the facilitator explained how worms get into the human system, everyone was surprised. They thought that they could only get worms from eating fish, meat, or palm nuts. The facilitator went on by speaking about the signs and symptoms of worms, especially in children. The facilitator shared that worms and parasites are passed through stagnant water sources and food that is not clean, so wearing shoes and handwashing are two important steps to prevent contracting both.

Disease transmission posters

"This training was very valuable as we were able to learn new skills and ideas in taking good care of ourselves and our community to stay safe and healthy. The training has created awareness about how to wash our hands, especially after using the toilet, the proper use of the latrine, the importance of the dish rack, and the importance of the children wearing shoes to prevent them from being infected by worms," said Headman Kamara.

"I am very optimistic that these new skills and knowledge we have learned will play a very great role in promoting the health of the people in this community if only we practicalize all that we have learned."

Thank you for making all of this possible!




April, 2021: Lungi, Yongoroo, #7 Kamara Taylor Street project underway!

People in Yongoroo, Sierra Leone lack a reliable source of water, so they turn to crowded and sometimes unsafe sources to get their water. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

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




March, 2021: A new direction for your project

We are sad to share that the landowner at 686 Main Motor Rd in Malokoh, Sierra Leone passed away. With his passing, there is now uncertainty about the future of this well. Our teams are working with the family to find a solution so that the community can continue to have access to implement the needed upgrades for this well to ensure it provides water throughout the year.

In the meantime, we are moving on to rehabilitate another well that is in a similar situation. A severe clean water shortage at #7 Kamara Taylor Street in Yongoroo, Sierra Leone drains peoples’ time, energy, and health. A decline in the water table renders this well unreliable, so people turn to open and unsafe water sources.

Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Please 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!




Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


A Year Later: "Life is good every day."

June, 2022

A year ago, your generous donation helped Yongoroo Community in Sierra Leone access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Isatu. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Yongoroo 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!

Before we rehabilitated the well in Yongoroo last year, it was overcrowded and didn't yield enough water for all the community's people. But now that fetching water is easy, life has become easier for kids like Isatu, who are sent to fetch water for their parents.

Isatu said: "I want to thank God because we're not like other communities who do not have clean and safe drinking water. We have it and my life is good every day. Good drinking water is promoting our hygiene and sanitation in my family."

With improved drinking water and a clean environment, Isatu's future looks much brighter than it did a little over a year ago, and it's all thanks to donors like you.


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 Yongoroo 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 Yongoroo 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

Project Sponsor - Matching Gifts 2020
3 individual donor(s)