April, 2022: Sanituguiya Forie Community Well Rehab Complete!

We are excited to share that a safe, reliable water point at Santiguiya Forie in Sierra Leone is now providing clean water to neighboring community members! We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.

"I am happy for this pump because it was not easy to fetch enough water from this pump," said 17-year-old Kadiatu S. "I used to struggle a lot to fetch water for my parents. I had to go to the stream looking for water to collect. It was risky, because the road to the stream is bushy and there are snakes around. I am now safe to fetch water from this pump at any time with no risk and fear."

Kadiatu holds a container of water.

"My activities were [never] complete because there was not enough water," Kadiatu continued. "The time I spent fetching water was long, so I could only have time to complete a few. I fetch water to cook, clean, for drinking, and bathing. This pump is making it simple for me to fetch enough water to do all my domestic activities early. I am happy because my stress on getting water from the stream is over."

28-year-old mother Saffiatu Bangura couldn't contain her joy about the newly rehabilitated well.

Saffiatu at the pump.

"I am exceedingly happy about the good condition of our pump," Saffiatu said. "I can now have enough water that will serve my family. This will help me to do all my daily activities before the day ends. I will not drink water from the stream because this pump will not dry again."

"During this time of year, this pump dried, and the stream water was the source I fetched water to drink. It is not good water, but I had no choice," Saffiatu continued. "I cannot afford to buy packet water regularly, so I chose to drink from the stream."

"Presently, I have a three-month-old baby. It is now good that I have access to safe water so I can give my baby safe care using clean water," Saffiatu concluded.

We held a dedication ceremony to officially hand over the well to the community members. Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Port Loko District Council. Each official gave a short speech thanking everyone who contributed to the rehabilitation of the water project and reminding the staff and students to take good care of it. Then, Kadiatu and Saffiatu made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

Clean Water Restored

The drill team arrived the day before beginning work. They set up camp and unpacked all their tools and supplies to prepare for drilling the next day. The community provided space for the team to store their belongings and meals for the duration of their stay. The following day, the work began.

First, we raised the tripod, the structure 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 20 meters with water at 13 meters. The hand-drill method allowed the team to install the cylinder far below the aquifer so that the community has excellent water access throughout the year.

With drilling complete, we installed screening and a filter pack to keep out debris when the water is pumped. 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.

Yield test underway.

As the project neared completion, we built a new cement platform, walls, and drainage system around the well to seal it off from surface-level contaminants. The drainage system helps to 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!

New Knowledge

Before conducting any hygiene training, we called and visited the local water user committee to understand 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.

Training topics covered included handwashing and tippy taps, good and bad hygiene habits, disease transmission and prevention, COVID-19, 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.

The most notable topic in Santiguiya Forie was handwashing. Community members had previously scoffed at the practice, but after learning the many ways diseases can transfer from hand to mouth, they changed their outlook.

"The training was valuable to me because now I can understand the importance of handwashing," explained 39-year-old trader Yeabu Turay. "Before this time, I saw handwashing as a waste of time. There are instances, in which I have failed to wash my hands before eating, and this has led me to become sick. But now, I must practice the knowledge I have received on handwashing every day. This will prevent me from the terrible sicknesses I use to suffer before. I know they will never reoccur again if I wash my hands with clean water and soap."

When an issue arises concerning the well, community members are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them. Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

March, 2022: Santiguiya Forie Community Well Rehab Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Santiguiya Forie 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!