Location of Project Njie Kunda, Central River Region, Fulladu West, The Gambia
Description of Project Community
Located just south of the Gambian River and off of the South Bank Road, this region of seven villages is composed primarily of subsistence farmers. Each small rural village is connected to one another by craggy dirt roads. Njie Kunda is a community of 166 people. Mutabbeh is a community of 460 people. Sareh-Molloh is a community of 99 people. Tumanni-Fatty is a community of 35 people. Taimantu Sinchu-kulairu is a community of 32 people. Sareh Batchi is a community of 401 people.
Description of Problem
The village of Njie Kunda has one well with a broken hand pump in need of repair. The Njie Kunda school well was dug too shallow so during the dry season the lack of water caused the pump’s cylinder to blow. A contractor must dig the borehole 3 meters deeper, replace the cylinder, replace the floater, and run a plumbing line to the school garden. Mutabbeh has two wells. One does not function because of a broken hand pump. The community of Sareh Molloh’s one well is contaminated. They need a new borehole and a new hand pump. The community of Tumanni-Fatty has two wells. One can remain open for non-drinking purposes. The second well needs a new hand pump. Taimantu Sinchu-kulairu has two wells, one with a broken hand pump. Sareh Batchi has one well with a broken hand pump.
Detailed Project Description
For Sareh Molloh, the project will begin with the drilling of a 4.5-meter borehole. At the Njie Kunda school, the project will begin with deepening the borehole. For Sareh Molloh, the contractor will supply and install the Pedal Star water tank and conversion head. At the Njie Kunda school, the contractor will replace the cylinder in the pump and the floater in the water tank. The remaining work will include dismantling broken systems and installing new German PB Mark II hand pumps. In greater detail, after dismantling the broken system, when applicable, the contractor will thereafter construct a new foundation and concrete cover for the pump. The contractor will go on to supply and fix standard stainless steel pipes and supply and fix stainless steel rod with a new discharge valve. The contractor will then supply and fix the piping with non-corrosive check nuts and replace all rod couplings with new stainless steel rod couplings. The contractor will supply and fix the MPE centralizers and a 17-mm chain to the lifting bar. After reconnection, the contractor will place lubricating and preservative gel in between the nuts and couplings. At the Njie Kunda school, the contractor will run a line with a tap from the borehole to the garden.
Number of People Affected
1405 people in two towns and four remote rural villages
Let Girls Learn
This project will have a great impact in reducing the workload for girls traveling long distances from their village to a neighboring village to fetch water daily before they go to school in the morning. If the community has access to enough clean water in their own village it will relieve the burden on girls as they will no longer have to travel each morning for water. This will also enable mothers to allow their daughters to go to school early in the morning without engaging them in other domestic chores. A case study was conducted recently that revealed the mass failure of girls in Gambian schools are caused by parents engaging them in housework before and after they go school. This severely limits their time to do their homework or other academic studies at home. In Gambian society, the pressure of daily domestic work always falls on the female children. This project will relieve that burden.
Monitoring and Maintenance
Upon completion of the project, the Working Water Gambia project coordinator Kebba Sanyang will work with community leaders and the water management committee of the six villages to ensure that proper mechanisms are in place for the sustainability of the water system. The contractor has offered to train the villagers on the proper use of hand pumps as well as the need to safeguard the system. This will help the community take good care of the hand pump so that it will maintain its durability. The selected water committee members will be inspecting the hand pump routinely to check if it is working properly. A mechanism will be created in which community contributions will be collected and saved for future minor maintenance. Working Water Gambia team will be in routine contact with the water management committee to ensure everything is functioning optimally and sustainably.
Project Conclusion
In Sareh Molloh, a 4.5-meter borehole was drilled and the contractor supplied and installed the Pedal Star water tank and conversion head. At the Njie Kunda school, the borehole was deepened. In the remaining four villages, the broken systems were dismantled and new German PB Mark II hand pumps were installed.
