Fulla Town, Sierra Leone
The 135 residents of Fulla Town suffered from a brutal water crisis. The entire community relied on a stream in the brush for all of their needs. The water in the stream often dwindled in dry months. The task of collecting water required walking long ways from the homes and then carrying the heavy burdens of water home. This robbed the residents of time and energy every day.
Furthermore, the water they worked so hard to access often made the residents sick, since it was unsafe quality. The water from the stream was open to the elements and therefore full of bacteria, parasites, and other contaminants. Once, the community was plagued by a cholera outbreak because of the use of water from the stream.
When the community members were ill, they suffered physically, but their lives were compromised in other ways as well. Children lost time in school, which set them back in their studies and increased their chances of dropping out. Meanwhile, when their parents were ill, they could not work to provide the daily wages their families needed. In this way, the water crisis was harming the residents’ livelihoods and hope for the future and entrenching them deeper in the cycle of poverty. Something needed to change.
Leaders in the community learned about Living Water International’s work in the region. They knew that the organization could help end the water crisis to allow for better public health and an improved way of life. They therefore reached out to formally request assistance. Living Water Sierra Leone responded by scheduling a visit to the community. They soon arrived, surveyed the situation, and decided they could complete a safe water well.
The Living Water Sierra Leone staff soon returned and set to work on the well project. They drilled until they reached a safe water aquifer 33 meters deep. They flushed the borehole to remove rock debris. Next, the team cased the borehole with PVC piping and a stabilizing gravel pack. They also treated the water and performed a water quality test to confirm that it was safe for drinking. Once they installed the well base and platform, the project was complete!
Living Water Sierra Leone also trained the community members on sustainable water management. They helped the residents form a water committee that will oversee the proper use and maintenance of the pump. The committee members will collect a small fee from each household for use of the well in order to save a fund to cover the cost of any future repairs. The committee will also remain in contact with Living Water Sierra Leone. The residents are confident that their safe water well will improve their health as long as they steward their new system responsibly.
Living Water facilitated sanitation and hygiene promotion activities in order to help the community members learn how to use the safe water you gave them to improve their health. This series of lessons used a variety of visual aids, demonstrations, and hands-on activities to engage the participants. During these lessons, the Living Water staff showed the residents how to care for the hand pump and safely store the water. They also taught effective handwashing technique, giving the residents the opportunity to practice using a “tippy tap'“ a rudimentary water-saving device. The team explained that proper handwashing is the main defense against germs and diseases.
Living Water also presented the gospel to the community. The residents present at the evangelism session heard the message of John 4:13-14 (NIV): “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The residents of Fulla Town will never again go thirsty at school or suffer from poor sanitation and hygiene that causes illnesses. The gift of the well will also impact generations to come as safe water management and sanitation and hygiene practices are shared with rising generations. Safe water changes everything!
