August, 2022: Malap Community Well Rehabilitation Complete!

We are excited to share that a safe, reliable water point at Malap 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 struggled a lot to help my mother in fetching water," said 13-year-old Fatmata K.

Kids from Malap gather around the well while Fatmata fills a jug.

"This pump was not working. My mother and I could make two or three trips of water from the swamp, and we [would] get tired. The way to the swamp is far, and we must wait for the water to clean because it gets dirty after other people had fetched it. I could also get tired and only needed to rest with reading my book. When the water was not clean, I filtered it with a clean, white cotton cloth to reduce the dirt before we could start drinking it.

"It [is] good to have our pump providing enough water for us. I can fetch enough water for our house without my mother helping me. Today, I have access to safe and affordable drinking water. I can fetch water any time I need [it]. It is close to my house."

"I had numerous challenges on access to safe water," said 42-year-old teacher Abu Bakarr Bangura, on whose land the well sits.

Abu Bakarr celebrates at the well.

"It was severe during the dry season. We dug wells [in] the swamp to get water. There was [a] greater need [for] water. For that reason, the wells [would] get low. Sometimes, I would sit by the well until a little water [would come] in before I can fetch it to the house.

"Everyone also [rushed] to the swamp to fetch clean water in the morning. Drinking water from the swamp was a risk to my health. This pump is now providing clean water for me, and it will protect me from water sicknesses.

"Now, it is quite easy to fetch water, and I do not need to store water for two or three days because there is always water at the pump now where I can fetch enough at any time during the day. We will keep the water point clean [at] all times to be safe from contamination."

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 and the Ministry of Water Resources. Each official gave a short speech thanking everyone who contributed to the rehabilitation of the water project and reminding everyone to take good care of it. Then, Fatmata and Abu Bakarr made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

Community members singing and dancing to dedicate the rehabilitated well.

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 21 meters with water at 14 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.

Bailing dirty water from the well.

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.

Re-installing the pump.

At last, we installed the pump and conducted a water quality test. The test results showed that this was 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 three-day hygiene and sanitation training. We then dispatched our teams to the agreed-upon location to hold the meeting.

Our field officers reported that the village chief and the community members participated actively in the training from start to finish, as they are so ready to no longer suffer from water-related diseases. Their willingness to put their daily lives on hold to address hygiene and sanitation within their community was incredibly encouraging.

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.

One notable topic was childhood vaccination, during which the facilitators explained why it's important for children to be vaccinated for common diseases like polio, measles, etc. before they reach the age of five. One woman who works as a nurse stood up and addressed the gathering, saying that vaccination rates have been on the decline and the local area has consequently seen an uptick in the cases of preventable diseases in children. The whole community agreed to schedule days for mothers to be relieved of their farm and community commitments so they can bring their children to the clinic as often as it's needed.

The water user committee members present their training certificates.

When we elected members to the water user committee, one of the community's elders emphasized the importance of diligently maintaining the well so that it may be used for generations to come. He gave the example of the community mosque, which the community pooled their resources to build and which has a group to take care of the building. With the water user committee in place to address any issues or contact our field officers if needed, hopefully this well will help the people of Malap for years yet.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members themselves. 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 their local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In our target areas, we’re working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!

May, 2022: Malap Community Well Rehabilitation Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Malap Community 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!