Adama Gains Time to Study

July, 2026

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Adama. Since then, she and the 154 residents of the Simbeck Community have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Clean water makes a person free from water-related illnesses," declared Adama.

Before the Well Rehabilitation

Like many girls in Sierra Leone, 16-year-old Adama is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

The previous water source.

Drinking water from the previous water source caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy. For Adama, it meant her time and physical energy were wasted, she was often ill, and it left little for other things like chores and learning.

"It was hard for me to fetch water because of the constraints. We used [a] rope to fetch water from the well. It was so difficult to do," recalled Adama. "There were times when the well ran dry, and this hindered me from fetching water, mostly when I wanted to wash dirty dishes, clean the house, [or] wash my uniforms, etc."

Since the Well Rehabilitation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Adama’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.


Reliable, clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic opportunities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"It is much easier to fetch water here because of the pump. No need to draw water from the well," Adama celebrated.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Adama and her community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect system hardware, monitor water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water-quality samples to identify risks. We work with our on-the-ground team to resolve them.

You gave Adama a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can be confident that, with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help her fulfill her dreams.

"I now have more time to study my notes after school. This was lacking because I used to spend a lot of time trying to fetch and transport water for use at home. Now, things are different. This has made me sigh with relief, and it has helped me to do well academically," said Adama.

We asked Adama what she dreams about in the future. She said, "I want to be a nurse in the future."

With access to plenty of clean water, Adama's dreams of becoming a nurse are closer than ever.

Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Simbeck Community 2 maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Simbeck Community 2 – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.

Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program

Impact: 154 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jul 2025

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 07/13/2026

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Alie Kamara, Community Engagement Officer

The 154 residents of the Simbeck Community struggle to access sufficient water. Their unprotected well is too shallow and runs dry for many months. To make matters worse, collecting water there is an arduous process. They have to lower a water jug down with a rope and then haul it back up, weighing up to forty pounds. This task is often unattainable for children and older community members.

Isata collecting water at the community well in need of rehabilitation.

"The primary source has no hand pump, and the water users use rubber gallon [buckets] and a rope to fetch water from the well. It is not easy for them to fill one jerrycan, and after making many trips for a day, they complain [of] pains, especially when holding the rope to pull. It hurts their hands," shared Field Officer Alie Kamara.

"Elderly people and children will not be able to fetch water from the well. Sometimes, when the rope [is] left in the well, it will be hard for the water users to fetch water during that time. It will take hours or days before they could fetch water. Another source has a pump; it is located far from the water users. They were walking long distances to access the well. They [are] not able to make many trips because of the distance," said Alie.

As Alie Kamara shared, their only other option is a distant well, but it also runs dry, so even if they make the trip, water isn't guaranteed.

11-year-old Isata lives with this hardship every day.

Isata.

"The well that is close to me [is] very difficult to fetch water from. It is hard for me to fetch water from the well that has no hand pump. It is easy to reach but its present situation makes it difficult to fetch water. I [am] always afraid to fetch water from the well because [of] using [the] rubber gallon [bucket] and a rope to fetch water. This takes time and energy to fill all the rubber buckets. This is the moment that pains me, and I even decided not to fetch water there although it is close to my house. This causes me [to] walk long distances to access the hand pump well," she shared.

"The other well is far from my house, and I walk [a] long distance to reach there. All this will cause me to take so long to fetch water every day," she continued.

Isata knows well how water scarcity affects every aspect of life.

"Sometimes, I feel bad when there is not enough water. The well gets dry during the dry season, and the other well gets low water. The high need of water in the community causes [the] water [to be] not enough," she added.

Going to collect water in hopes the well isn't dry.

The water crisis in her community means Isata has little time for anything else in her life. Her education is on the back burner, along with other crucial tasks and childhood joys.

"Sometimes, the housework delays me to go to school; especially fetching water. This will cause me not to spend much time to study. In the end, it will lead to poor grades. I will not be able to promote [to] the next class. This will disturb me not to achieve my education. I will be happy if this project renews our water well," she said.

Isata doing laundry.

Rehabilitating the community well, will solve the seasonality issues as well as make collecting water easier.

With reliable, accessible water, Isata can have renewed hope. She will have time to study and go to school on time. Isata has big dreams; giving her accessible water will lay the foundation for a brighter future.

"I plan to become a lawyer in [the] future, but this will only happen when I focus [on] learning. I will judge people justly when I become a lawyer. I will be happy if this project helps renew our water well," she concluded.

Steps Toward a Solution

Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. They decided to drill a borehole well, construct a platform for the well, and attach a hand pump.

Well
Abundant water often lies just beneath our feet. Aquifers—natural underground rivers—flow through layers of sediment and rock, offering a constant supply of safe water. A borehole well is drilled deep into the earth to access this naturally filtered and protected water. We penetrate meters, sometimes even hundreds of meters, of soil, silt, rock, and more to reach the water underground. Once found, we construct a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute. Learn more here!

Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.

Project Updates


July, 2025: Simbeck Community Well Complete!

We are excited to share that your donation provided a safe, reliable well at Simbeck Community. As a result, community members no longer rely on unsafe water to meet their daily needs. We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.

Community members celebrating during the dedication ceremony.

33-year-old Zainab Conteh said, "Now, this water well has been provided for us. This will help me solve the problems I faced before, like walking long distances to access water, not enough water at the well, and difficulty fetching water from the well using a rubber gallon and rope. With this water, the problems I faced with fetching water are now over."

Ms. Conteh.

"This water well will make a difference for my children. They will not walk long distances to fetch water. They have enough time to study and go to school on time. They will be able to do their assignment, and I will assist them," Ms. Conteh added.

"I am happy today because the water well has a pump and produces enough water. I will not struggle to fetch water from the well. I will not walk long distances to fetch water in the community. My mother will go out to work, which will get money for the home, especially [through] business. I will be able to go to school on time and have enough time to study. I will be able to do my homework. Before, I hardly had enough time to study," 17-year-old Adamsay said.

Adamsay.

After construction was complete, we held a dedication ceremony to officially give responsibility of the well to the community members. Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources and the Port Loko Council District. Each official gave a short speech thanking everyone who contributed to the rehabilitation of the water project and encouraging everyone to take good care of it. Then, Zainab and Adamsay made statements on their community's behalf. The ceremony concluded with celebration, singing, and dancing.

Clean Water Restored

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 hand-dug well's original depth and socketed the pipes to install a casing.

Preparing to drill.

Finally, we started to drill! We reached a final depth of 17.8 meters with water at 11.5 meters. The team installed the cylinder as far below the water table as possible so that the community has reliable access throughout the year.

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

Constructing the well pad.

Next, we bailed the well and flushed it, clearing any debris generated by the drilling process. Lastly, we tested the water flow 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 spilled water to help avoid standing water at the well, which is unhygienic and a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

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

Pump installation.

Community Education

Before conducting any hygiene training, we collaborated with the local water user committee to understand the community’s challenges and lack of sanitation facilities. 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 before the training.

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 Phoday Kamara was instrumental in reinforcing each lesson.

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 taught about proper handwashing, personal and menstrual hygiene, and healthy habits such as using latrines and maintaining a balanced diet. We discussed how disease transmission and water hygiene are crucial to community health. We emphasized the importance of maintaining and caring for the well pump and the cost recovery system.

Handwash training.

Zainab shared about the training, "Healthy and unhealthy communities were one of the interesting topics we covered in the training. Two communities were introduced to us, one which shows the environment is dirty, and the other very clean."

Zainab participating in training session.

"This tells me how we should take care of our surroundings. If a compound is dirty, I would not like to live in such a place. This might cause [me to be] exposed to diseases. Also, we should take care of our latrines. If you build a house, you should dig a latrine, [and] properly maintain [it], so that flies will not get access to the latrine," she continued.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




June, 2025: Exciting Progress in Simbeck Community!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Isata and the entire Simbeck Community. Construction has begun on the well rehabilitation project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the community with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water in the Simbeck Community!




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