July, 2021: Masome Village Project Complete!

We are excited to share a safe, reliable water point at Masome Village in Sierra Leone is now 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.

"This water source is a great help to me as a student because I used to walk a far distance to the stream to fetch water. Now I can access quality water to drink with no fear of getting sick from contaminated water," said 16-year-old Abdulai K. "I can now get enough water on time for my mother to cook early and perform other domestic activities."

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 the team to store their belongings, along with meals for the duration of their stay. The following day, the work began.

First, we raised the tripod, which we use to hold and maneuver each drilling tool. Next, we measured the well's original depth. We then socketed the pipes and installed a casing.

Finally, we lined up the drill rods and started to drill! We reached a final depth of 19.7 meters with water at 16.7 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.

We installed screening and a filter pack to keep out debris when the water is pumped with drilling complete. We then cemented an iron rod to the well lining and fixed it with an iron collar at the top. Next, we bailed the well by hand for three days and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. Finally, we tested the yield to ensure the well would provide clean water with minimal effort at the pump.

As the project neared completion, we built a cement platform, walls, and drainage system around the well to seal it off from surface-level contaminants. The drainage system helped redirect runoff and spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which can be uncomfortable and unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

At last, we installed the stainless steel India Mk11 pump and conducted a water quality test. The test results showed that this is clean water fit for drinking!

A good number of community people were in a jubilant mood to mark the dedication of the well. People came out with empty five-gallon containers beating them as musical instruments and singing in their local language, Temne, praising the opportunity to access quality water in their community.

They also expressed in songs their gratitude to our team for such a great gift given to them. As they arrived at the well, the team assembled them in the best position to maintain physical distancing during their singing and dancing. The community people and a representative from the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR) for Port Loko district were all in attendance for the dedication ceremony.

The community headman made a statement of appreciation for allowing them to access quality water in the community. A student from the community also made a statement highlighting the previous water challenges they had before getting the new well. The MOWR representative made the last statement expressing gratitude for helping the community and the district at large. He urged Masome Community members to use and protect the facility carefully. The whole ceremony ended with more celebration.

Mr. Osman Fofanah, a representative from the Ministry of Water Resources

"I am very overwhelmed by this great opportunity we have from Mariatu’s Hope and The Water Project. This water will not only impact my life alone but the entire Masome Community. This has laid to rest my worries about children who used to go through the bush to fetch water from the swamp being afraid of poisonous animals in the bush. This well will help to reduce the rate of sickness in this community as a result of drinking contaminated water," shared Umaru Conteh after the dedication.

New Knowledge

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

After this preparatory period, we scheduled a time when members from each household using the water point could attend a multi-day hygiene and sanitation training. We then dispatched our teams to the agreed-upon location to hold the meeting.

Every household was represented at the training. The training took place in a compound located on the right side of the main road at the center of the community. The space was large enough for everyone, under a big mango tree that provided shade, ventilation, and proper physical distancing.

Training topics covered included handwashing and tippy taps, good and bad hygiene habits, disease transmission and prevention, worms and parasites, dental hygiene, proper care of the well's pump, keeping the water clean, the cost recovery system, dish racks and clotheslines, the importance of toilets, keeping latrines clean, balanced diets, the diarrhea doll, and HIV and AIDS.

A community member expressed how happy he was about the training since he believed the knowledge gained from the training would help shape the lives of everyone in the community and change them for the better. Different views were given, and many questions were answered. They promised to keep their community clean, deviate from all practices that will endanger their health safety, and practice their knowledge from the training to give them a healthy community.

"The knowledge gathered from the three-day training is very important to us because we were able to learn new skills in taking care of ourselves, children, and the community at large. The training has given us in-depth knowledge on preventing sicknesses and how to keep our community healthy. The awareness from this training will help shape our lives and improve the hygiene and sanitation level of this community," said Fatama K.

"I strongly believe that we can be able to prevent ourselves from most of these diseases. I will now serve as an agent of change to let my community members adhere to all the advice given to us by the team."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

June, 2021: Masome Village project underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Masome Village drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

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!