Kathoma Community 2

May, 2024: Kathoma Community Well Rehabilitation Complete!

We are excited to share that a safe, reliable water point at Kathoma Community 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.

"In the past, it was hard for me to fetch water from this well because it was not working. I used to go to the river to fetch water. Today, this water well will help me not to suffer again for water," said 17-year-old Haja.

Haja celebrating clean water.

"I will now have time to rest since I will no longer fetch water every day. This will give me enough time to study my notes, which will make me have good grades in school," Haja said.

"This water point will help me to fetch water to do all my work at home, mostly, in cooking and laundering. These were the areas [where] I faced difficulties because of the lack of water. Now that this waterpoint is functional, I believe all these challenges will be over," said 23-year-old trader Isatu Bangura.

Isatu enjoying clean water.

"The waterpoint does make a difference in the life of my children because they can now fetch clean water to drink. Initially, they used to drink from any water source because the well was having problems. Now, with the new waterpoint, all this will be over. My children will even have enough water to launder their uniforms earlier after school. This will [give] them time to rest and study at night," she 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 Ministry of Water Resources and the Port Loko District 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, Haja and Isatu made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

The community celebrates.

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.

Work begins.

Finally, we lined up the drill rods and started to drill! We reached a final depth of 9 meters with water at 5.4 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.

Chlorinating the well.

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

Installing the pump.

"Some of the community members helped with this work. Starting from the deployment of the drillers in the community to the construction work. The community members helped the drillers remove the equipment they were using from the vehicle. During the drilling, they provided community helpers to be with the drillers, to help do the work. Even when the construction laborers came to do the fence and pad work, some of the community members were with them. They helped throughout the construction process," shared Field Officer Julius Sesay.

Clean water flowing!

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. She was instrumental in reinforcing each lesson.

Learning how diseases can transmit through a simple handshake.

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, teen pregnancy, worms and parasites, proper dental hygiene, menstrual hygiene, proper care of the well's pump, keeping the water clean, the cost recovery system, the importance of using dish racks and clotheslines, the importance of toilets, keeping latrines clean, balanced diets, the diarrhea doll, and disease transmission and prevention, COVID-19, Ebola, Hepatitis, HIV and AIDS.

The dental hygiene session.

Trainer Julius shared about the session on the importance of proper dental hygiene. We often find that when community members share their personal experiences coupled with the knowledge shared by the trainers it is most impactful for those in attendance.

"During this time, Amadu Tamba Kargbo the secretary of the W.U.C. (Water User Committee) narrated a story in relation to the topic. He went to this village in Kikam and saw a man suffering from toothache. From his explanation, the man tried hard with some remedies by using herbs to try to solve the toothache, but nothing was working. His face got swollen which led him to be restless. He was able to advise the man to go to the hospital to at least see a dentist. At first, the man was reluctant to go to the hospital. But later he realized going to [the] hospital would be [the] best remedy to address his problem. So, he went to a hospital, and spent some days there. Finally, when he returned to the village, there was a great improvement in relation to his teeth. He made it clear to his family members that he suffered from toothache due to a lack of proper care of the teeth. This caused his teeth to get a big hole (cavity). Amadu advised the participants to use the required paste and toothbrush and to brush their teeth regularly," shared Julius.

The attendees were encouraged to practice proper dental hygiene to avoid suffering painful infections and seek proper medical attention when needed.

Demonstrating proper hand washing.

"This training impacted me a lot and I was able to learn new ideas, especially how to construct and use [a] tippy tap. Now, [that] I have learned to construct [a] tippy tap, I will use it every day and make sure my community people use it too. This will help stop the spread of diseases or transmission. Also, I learned how to wash hands properly, [the] proper care of the toilet, and maintain [a] clean environment," shared Isatu, quoted earlier in the report.

Isatu pumping water from the new well.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. 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 Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we’re working toward complete coverage. That means 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!

April, 2024: Kathoma Community Well Rehabilitation Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Kathoma Community costs people time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!