Project Status



Project Type:  Well Rehab

Program: Water for Sierra Leone

Impact: 400 Served

Project Phase:  Decommissioned

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project was implemented by another partner, but is now monitored and maintained by The Water Project together with Mariatu's Hope.

The well rehab was at the Rotifunk Baptist Primary school located in the Port Loko district of Sierra Leone. There are 367 students at this school, 179 boys and 188 girls. The pump was broken for two months. When the team pulled the pump, they noticed that the contractor that dug the well lives behind the school but never came to the assistance of the school.

The community was using an open well for their water source. Sicknesses encountered from the water source were dysentery, typhoid and malaria. Most people in the community earn a living through selling baked goods, cooked rice, petty trading and teaching.

The community helped out with the project by providing security and food. When the project was complete, the community established a water committee and a point person to be the
caretaker of the well.

Testimony from a community member: Mohamed Kamara, 31 year old head teacher spoke with the team about the water needs for his school and community. "I find the new hand pump and rehab good. We are enjoying the water. When the pump broke, the children were experiencing sickness."

The students and community members gathered with the team to pray before they began the work each day. During the hygiene training, the gospel is woven into the lessons. Bible storying and songs were sung during the lessons. The gospel was presented at the dedication.

On the day of the pump installation, the students were being tested. The team didn’t want to make them wait ofr the pump installation so we came back to do the hygiene. Topics that were covered were the three legged stool, keeping your body clean and the wordless book. The Sierra Leone team partners with UNICEF and taught 43 fifth and sixth grade girls about menstrual hygiene.

Project Updates


August, 2018: Continued Work at Rotifunk Baptist Primary School

The initial project at this school (seen in the reporting found on this page) is a display of our shared commitment to helping them access water. Equally as important to the community and The Water Project is ongoing support to make sure that water is reliable, day after day, year after year. This is why we monitor all our projects. Over time we’ve found that the water table has dropped in this area, limiting the intended benefit of this well. Though not common, this does happen from time to time.

Because of our commitment to people in this community (and the lasting impact that our supporters want to make), we’ve drilled this well deeper in order to access a higher yield aquifer. This work will ensure that clean water is accessible here year round. To see that work, click here.




Project Photos


Project Type

Well rehabilitation is one of the most cost effective ways to bring clean, safe water to a community.  Sometimes it involves fixing a broken hand pump, other times it means sealing a hand dug well to prevent it from being contaminated.  These repairs, and often time total replacements, coupled with sanitation and hygiene training make a huge impact in communities.


Sponsors


31 individual donors
Duane & Katrina Weaver