January, 2023: Tholmossor Community Well Rehabilitation Project Complete!
We are excited to share that a safe, reliable water point at Tholmossor 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.
"Today, I am overjoyed because our main water source is now working," said 39-year-old trader Kadiatu Conteh. "I will never forget the difficulties I used to face in times past. Fetching water from our alternate source at the mosque. The high competition faced in fetching water from the well at the mosque delayed me from fetching water on time. There were times, I [would] not be able to get the amount of water I need. This was even affecting my trade."
Kadiatu cups her hands beneath the spout at the rehabilitated well.
"Today, with the provision of this water well, I will be able to fetch water with ease," Kadiatu continued. "Therefore, I will be able to cook on time and pay more attention to my trade. The cleaning of the house will not be hard to do since water will now be available for that purpose."
The longer she talked, the more things Kadiatu realized would be easier.
"I will no longer use a lot of money to buy bundles of water for drinking since the water from this water point is safe for drinking," she said. "This will make me use the money to do something else. The new water point will help me to launder all my clothes before the end of the week. This was one of the biggest challenges I used to face. I was unable to launder all my clothes because the water was not enough. All this will now be avoided because water is available to do this work. Finally, the new water point will make me pay more attention to menstrual hygiene. This was an area that was hard to do because enough water was not available for that. Now, with the new water point will observe good hygiene by taking care of myself and even my immediate surroundings."
And Kadiatu isn't the only one excited for the newly rehabilitated well.
Juria and Kadiatu celebrate at the well.
"The water point will save me from walking a far distance to fetch water from our alternate source," said 14-year-old Juria. "I spent a lot of time trying to fetch water in the morning hours. This was the time most people in the community [would] desperately need water, too. Therefore, fetching water during those times was a challenge for me. The water point will prevent me from the challenges I used to face.
"Another way the water point will impact my life is in washing the dishes and cooking utensils before going to school. This was difficult to do, especially when our main and alternate sources [would] break down. I spent a lot of time going in search of water from other communities. By the time I eventually fetched water, I [wouldn't] be having enough time to wash the dishes and the cooking utensils. Now, the water point will make it easier for me to fetch water to do this work since the well is very close to our house. My mum will no longer scold me for not doing the work at home."
Juria at the well.
"Similarly, the water point will make me save the money my parents give me for lunch," Juria continued. "Initially, I used to [use my lunch money] to fetch two containers of water from the well at the mosque, especially when my parents [would] reluctantly refuse to give me money. I would end up going to school on empty stomach. That is why I am happy, because I will now enjoy my lunch."
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, the Ministry of Water Resource, and the Ward Council. 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, Kadiatu and Juria 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 eight 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.
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.
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.
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 at the training.
"The training was very much valuable to me because I learned a lot of things about hygiene," said Kadiatu (quoted earlier). "Certain things I took for granted will now be treated with seriousness. I was never mindful that some of the things we neglect will lead to serious health problems."
Participants use a tippy-tap station to practice handwashing.
"Initially, I saw hand washing as a waste of time, not knowing that proper hand washing will prevent a lot of diseases," Kadiatu continued. "I saw in one of the lessons where a boy failed to wash his hands. He used those same hands to give his friend a banana. As a result, his friend was affected by that. That is why I will make sure every member of my household uses the tippy tap for us to prevent disease transmission."
"Another thing that I was impressed with is the involvement of the nurse from Mahera Community Health Center. The nurse made me understand the rationale for family planning and the side effects of using certain contraceptives. This has given me insight into this important lesson. I will put into practice the good things I have learned from this training."
The family planning discussion, led by Nurse Elizabeth, was quite informative. She was interested to learn that the only family planning resource used by most of the community members is abstinence, where many new and lactating mothers even leave their marital home to stay with their mothers until they have fully recovered from birth. Nurse Elizabeth explained the different contraceptives available nowadays and explained that although abstinence will work, it is not the only resource at the community's disposal.
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!
