Rehabilitation Project
This project was implemented by another partner, but is now monitored and maintained by The Water Project together with Mariatu's Hope.
When the Sierra Leone team arrived, the pump was not in a good working condition, the cylinder and sucker rod were rusted and the casing was not properly sunk. The Sierra Leone team restored the casing and lining, sank the casing, poured cement and installed new pump. There were 500 residents who had been forced to depend on a river located two kilometers away from the community to meet all of their water needs. Because of this and the community’s practice of open defecation, families were suffering from dysentery, malaria, typhoid, diarrhea and severe dehydration among other preventable water related illnesses. During the team's stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of five men and five women who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible, provided food and guarded the team’s equipment during the night. This water committee is also responsible for collecting a well maintenance fee of 100 Ugandan Shillings per 20 liter jerry can collected. Most residents farm, garden or petty trade to earn a living and a few teach at the nearby school. There is a school located two kilometers away from the community whose students, teachers and administrative personnel all now have access to a safe water source.
The Sierra Leone team had an opportunity to meet with fifty-three year old community member and petty trader, Adama B.S. Kanu, who stated, "The old source is a big stream where people usually launder their clothes, and kids are toileting nearby stream. Leaves fall and the color of the water changes. The new hand pump makes them feel good and happy to have access to clean water which will make them healthy."
All the adults participated in the hygiene training and were attentive in listening to us and were also happy and willing to have their tippy tap rubber and could make a tippy tap for themselves. At the time we did tippy- tap at Malokoh, the people at Mabeseneh Road by then did not know the importance of it until the time they went house to house and the community people of Malokoh taught them how to use the tippy tap. They were excited to have a tippy-tap at their houses. That is why the number of participants was high, and we had a one gallon rubber to make tippy-tap for them. The community provided their own rubbers for the tippy taps. Adults were 70, Children 5 and ORS spoons 60. Since this is a new WASH committee set up at this well, no money had been collected. The committee has been instructed that they will need to impose a fee for water so when the pump has problems they can repair it themselves.
