Mahera Community 6

No one in Mahera can complete their tasks without water. And for this community of 660 people all sharing one well, to say that getting water every day is a struggle is an understatement.

The community's second well at the local mosque broke down almost two years ago at the time of writing (September 2022). This means that there are almost always lines at the public well.

"It is very difficult for me to complete my daily activities," said 42-year-old farmer Neneh Kamara (in the photo below).

"Most of the things I do every day cannot be done without water. I need water for all domestic purposes, such as cooking, laundering, drinking, etc. Most of the time, I would not be able to get the required amount of water I need. There is always a great demand for water from everyone in this community, especially during the morning and evening hours."

There are other water sources in neighboring communities within this populous region, but those sources are not only far away, but they force users to pay a water fee with each water container filled. This is not only an added expense, but it's exceptionally frustrating for people like Neneh who already paid for water from the community well.

"The competition to fetch water from the well [is] unbearable," Neneh said. "The payment to fetch water is also affecting me. Most times I would not be able to fetch the amount of water I already paid for. This is frustrating because the money used to fetch water would have been used for other purposes."

Sometimes, 15-year-old Assanatu (in the photo below) goes to fetch water in the morning only to turn around and come right back home upon seeing the lines of people so that she won't be late for school. But this means she'll have extra work to do once she gets home.

"Immediately [when] I get home, I must fetch water and help my mum to wash the cooking utensils and dishes that I left unwashed in the morning," Assanatu said.

"Honestly, it is not easy to get water from the pump in the evening hours because most of my friends and other people would already be at the alternate water point. I will wait until I fetch water before leaving. Sometimes I would not get enough water because there were other people at the pump also waiting to fetch water. By the time I finish, I would already be [too] tired to even help my mum in the kitchen."

"Most times, I end up laundering my school uniform late at night because of water constraints," Assanatu continued. "This will make it difficult for it to get dry. I only have one pair of uniforms so I must launder every day after school. It is really a burden to me. That is why I would be happy if we could have another functioning well. All these unnecessary water constraints will be reduced."

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 that will ensure the well supplies water throughout all seasons.

As the team drills, 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 both 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.

These trainings 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

January, 2023: Mahera Community Well Rehabilitation Complete!

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

"I want to say thanks to [you for] this renewed water well," said 15-year-old Assanatu K., whom we spoke to on our first visit to Mahera. "It is a blessing for me as well as my community."

Assanatu, in the striped shirt, pours water while community members celebrate.

"Before, this water well [would] not provide enough water for the Mosque as well [as] the community people," Assanatu continued. "Every morning, I had to go to the water point to fetch water, but it caused delays because it [took a lot of] time to fetch water at the well. During that time, it would be hard for me to return home quickly. This well is now in good order, and I will access safe and sustainable water. This [has] impacted my life, with no more worries."

"Before, water problems affected me greatly, and it [was] not easy to fetch water in this community," said 42-year-old trader Neneh Kamara, whom we also interviewed when we first visited Mahera.

Neneh (in the striped shirt) splashes at the well.

"The people [would form] a queue at the water point," Neneh explained. "At that time, I had to plead people for me to fetch water and then return home. Sometimes, I [would] go to the swamp to fetch water. Today is a happy day for me as well as the community because this well is now renewed in good form. I [will] not be worried anymore relating to water problems, and this has impacted my life because I will not contract a waterborne disease. Thanks to the donors. Today, it is a big opportunity for me to get access to safe and pure water in my community."

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 mosque on whose grounds the well is situated as well as dignitaries from the Port Loko District Council, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ward Council.

Neneh celebrates with Ward Councilor Abu Koroma at the well.

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, Assamatu and Neneh 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 18 meters with water at 11 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.

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 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.

We also invited a nurse from the local clinic to help explain some topics and spread awareness about Sierra Leone's free vaccinations for children under five. Nurse Elizabeth was instrumental in reinforcing each lesson.

Nurse Elizabeth explains the need for and proper use of mosquito nets.

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.

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.

Nurse Elizabeth illustrates how diseases pass from one person to another.

One topic that created a lot of discussion was healthcare, which many community members are distrustful of for one reason or another. The nurse explained that herbalists and witch doctors don't have methods to diagnose or treat many preventable but life-threatening illnesses. Some community members brought up the cost of seeking healthcare, but eventually they realized that learning a loved one's diagnosis as soon as possible would elevate their chances of survival, and they promised Nurse Elizabeth that they would take anyone sick or injured to a proper doctor in the future.

Neneh at the training venue.

"The encouragement I received from the nurse impacted me to always visit the hospital when [I] am sick or my children get sick," said Neneh Kamara (quoted earlier). "If not for her nice talk, I [would] never visit that CHP (Community Health Post). I’m happy for the coming of the nurse in our community. Without this training, she would not know our reasons for not going to the hospital. I’m so happy about the training, and I will put all that I have learned into practice. I also want to thank the nurse and the [training] team for these three days of hygiene training and the encouragement they give us in our community."

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!

December, 2022: Mahera Community Well Rehabilitation Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Mahera 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!

Mahera Community 6

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