Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-1

West Coast Region, The Gambia

Water Charity Country Director Ebrima Marong posing with the women of the community and encouraging them to practice hand washing

Foni Jarrol is one of the nine districts of The West Coast Region, which is located to the south of the Gambia River in the southwest of the country. Foni Jarrol is in the far east of the region, between Foni Bondali and the border with Senegal. The district is widely dominated by the Jola tribe and it is well known for its traditional cultural festival called ‘’Futampaf’’. This is a Jola traditional initiation ceremony which dates back centuries ago. According to oral history, the founders of Jarrol were the ancient Bainunka tribe. 

The district, along with other districts bordering Southern Senegal, has played host to thousands of refugees fleeing the Southern Senegalese region of Casamance’s crisis which saw fighting between Senegalese forces and Cassamance separatist rebels. This has had serious difficulties both economic and social affecting the district, among which is the scarcity of clean drinking water. Environmental issues are still persistent due to illegal logging causing mass deforestation within the district. 

OUTCOME 

The first phase of this project has been successfully completed thanks to Water Charity and its local partner Working Water The Gambia (WWG). This is part of a series of projects launched under the Water for Everyone Initiative. The project mission was to improve water access and sanitation conditions across 5 villages in Jarrol District by rehabilitating handpumps, installing new ones where necessary, and providing hand washing stations to improve sanitation and hygiene in the communities of SINTET VILLAGE, KAMSAMBOU VILLAGE, JOREM BUNDA KUNDA VILLAGE, KAMPASSA VILLAGE and ARENKOLI KUNDA VILLAGE. Thanks to the collaborative support of the villagers in all these villages, the project was completed successfully. This project provides access to clean water and sanitation to over 3,500 people 

Arenkoli Kunda Village

  • Olimatou is a housewife and she has been trained on how to do effective handwashing. She will also teach her family to practice it
  • Preparing the mixture of detergents for the hand washing station
  • The community is provided with a hand washing station and detergents. They also trained on effective hand washing techniques
  • Fresh clean drinking water flowing for the community now
  • Kemo is one of the workers who enjoys working. with his dreadlocks he is always on point and dedicated when working
  • Removing the rods replacing them with stainless steel ones
  • Work in progress

ACTIVITIES  

The project saw the successful dewatering, re-digging of wells, installation of new German Mark 2 cylinders and conversion heads, stainless-steel pipes, rod couplings, check nuts, pedestals, axle and bearings. Concrete water troughs were built, new culverts for wells and concrete slabs. Handwashing stations were installed in all project intervention communities supplied with detergents. In partnership with The Gambia’s Department of Water Resources, quality testing and treatment was also conducted at the end of each community project. In each community, learning sessions were held on effective handwashing techniques and simple water management strategies. Communities also participated in manual works like digging, collecting sand and gravel. They also hosted workers, which assured that all materials were secured.  

Jorem Bunda Kunda Village

  • The beautiful smiles on faces brought by Water Charity by providing clean drinking water to hard hit vulnerable communities
  • In a situation where the community has been without clean drinking water for long longer time, everybody is in a hurry for water
  • Lets celebrate water. The community now have clean drinking water
  • He is the head of the village and he is so excited about the water project. Finally his community will have clean drinking water
  • Training women and children about clean hand washing. They are the most vulnerable in the society
  • Workers are busy working while the children keep them company. They can’t wait to have water
  • Jainaba is glad the community has been provided with handwashing station. Here she is with her 1 year old baby
  • Concrete mixing
  • Men at Work
  • Removing the old rusty parts of the handpump
  • Removing bits and pieces of the handpump. As usual the hard and rusty iron makes it hard to remove and it requires lot of technique
  • Clearing the water source area from wild grass. The water source has broke down for years and it was filled with grass and dirt

  

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 

  • The primary objective of this project is to provide clean drinking water and better sanitation for the people of the selected 5 villages in Foni Jarrol District as for the first phase of the project. This has been successfully achieved at the completion of the project.  
  • The Foni region has long suffered from the lack of clean drinking water. The region has been hit hard with mass felling of trees and frequent bush fires. Also, the conflict between Senegalese forces and separatist rebels in the southern Senegalese region of Cassamance has made things worse for the region of Foni as it shares a long border with Cassamance. Mass movement of refugees from the recent clashes has worsened the water crisis for communities hosting the refugees. One of the objectives of the project is to ease the pressure of the lack of clean drinking water in communities, as well as provide sanitation.  
  • One of the objectives of this project is to provide clean drinking water for marginalized vulnerable communities. Foni has a lot of isolated villages that feel abandoned and forgotten. This project has made them feel heard, socially included, and a part of humanity. For villages that lie closely on the borderline, most of the times felt abandoned due to fear as they are closer to the frontline.  
  • The project also empowers women and girls. We all know the burden women and girls bear in water collection. Statistics has shown that Foni is one of the lowest female enrolment rates in school. This clean water project will empower girls participation in school. The time spent on water collection is far shorter now for school-going girls. 
  • Another important objective of this project is to inculcate the habit of hand washing in communities. At each of the rehabilitated water sources in each community, a hand washing station is provided with detergents and also a learning session on the techniques of effective hand washing. Members of the community gather in the village square for the learning sessions. This is a tool to combat the spread of germs and other communicable diseases that could spread within communities especially after using the toilets. It also aids nursing mothers as well as children to understand the importance of hygiene and sanitation. Participation in the learning sessions was high. Community engagement was immense and enthusiastic. 
  • In the Fonis, open defecation is not as big a concern as it is in the central regions of the country. Nonetheless, another key objective of these water projects is to facilitate round-the-clock household access to water. This will steer people away from going outside to defecate. The availability of water in the households is a catalyst towards the cessation of open defecation. 
  • Another objective of these projects is to encourage women’s engagement in household-level horticulture gardening. Every rehabilitated water source includes a concrete watering trough. The water trough traps waste water from the hand pump and can be used by nearby houses for small-scale household horticulture vegetable gardening. This avoids the wastage of water and allows households to grow vegetables and enables their livestock to drink. This helps provide the households with a balanced diet and thereby alleviates the extreme poverty communities’ face especially in the dry season. 
  • Another key objective of this project is to cut down the high rate of water related illnesses in the recipient communities. Children often face the brunt when it comes to waterborne diseases. Certain households are drained of all resources when a family is struck with waterborne diseases. These water projects will lessen the burden on communities and money that would otherwise be spent on doctors or medicine can be used for food or for girls’ education instead. 
  • Setting up and training village water management committees was another objective of the project. We set up and trained water management committees in all the project communities. They help in the day-to-day management and maintenance of the water source. This will help make the project sustainable. As best practice, we ensure the committee is gender-balanced and that women have a say in the maintenance and management of the water source. Traditional women communicators known as ‘’Kanyeleng’’ are also involved in the sensitization of communities for better water management. 

Kampassa Village

  • Water is flowing finally the community have clean drinking water
  • One of the youth leaders in the community is happily demonstrating now they have water
  • Grandma came to offer her blessings to the water project. She is tremendously happy now they have clean drinking water
  • Solidifying the entire well with cement and gravel
  • One of the women is demonstrating what she has learned about the efective hand washing techniques
  • Head of the village, and village elders came to show their support and happiness for the project
  • Two senior women from the community women’s group inspect the hand washing station. They were trained on effective hand washing techniques
  • Removing the old cylinder replacing it with Grundfos stainless-steel high-quality cylinder of German Mark 2 handpumps for durability
  • The colaborative strength makes it work
  • Removing all bad parts of the handpump replacing it with high quality products is essential part of a sustainable water system for community

BENEFICIARY TESTIMONIAL 

The excitement and happiness are overwhelming in all the communities. Heads of villages of the respective 5 villages all expressed their sincere thanks for the project and happiness, highlighting the positive impact that these clean water projects have in their lives., the local councilor of the district Papieye Tamba who is also a health care practitioner for Sintet Health Center, heaped praises on and thanks to Water Charity. He also mentioned the social and economic importance of the water projects, as well as the tremendous importance of clean drinking water for the communities, especially in relation to the provision of education and the increased wellbeing. He also mentioned the importance and timeliness of the project given communities have experienced an influx of refugees from the Cassamance crisis. We are extremely happy about this water project. We often treat waterborne diseases at the clinic. This project will also help us in combating diseases. Safe drinking water, basic sanitation facilities and safe disposal of infectious wastes will prevent the spread of disease and improve health conditions. In all cases, good hygiene practices are key to preventing disease transmission. This is indeed joyful for the district especially my ward, he said.  Similar remarks were said by Amie Manneh, womens group leader. She emphasized the tremendous importance these water projects have on community’s empowerment and secure water supply. This will help us raise our families better she said. Healthy living is a healthy mind. We are very grateful for the projects she said. 

 Dozens of cultural and social leaders within the beneficiary communities expressed their delight and happiness for these water projects, as they have come at a better time when they are faced with lots of challenges especially the refugee crisis. Water is the foundation of humanity they said. Sulayman Sanyang, a representative of the traditional chief Kutubo Sanyang, expressed thanks and gratitude for the water projects. He urged for peace, brotherhood and tranquility now that there is ample clean drinking water flowing in the 5 communities. He urged for the effective protection and proper management of the water sources. He also tasked the village development committees of the beneficiary communities to work closely with village water management committees for the sustainability of the projects.  

Thanks to the donors for making this project a success. 

Kamsambou Village

  • After completion of the project, everybody wants to have a zip from the water.They finally have clean drinking water in the community
  • The happiness of families when they have clean drinking water in their community
  • The joy of water
  • School children can now have a rest and concentrate on their education instead of traveling miles searching for water daily
  • His father is showing him how to do effective hand washing. The hand washing station is meant to inclucate the culture of hand washing
  • Women demonstrating how to do the effective hand washing
  • People gathering at the village square about to learn how to do effective hand washing techniques
  • Work in progress
  • Solidifying the well and water trough to provide water for domestic animals is important part of the project. It helps stop water wastage
  • Inserting new centralizers and rods
  • Removing the old cylinder
  • Completely removing the bad rusty parts of the hand pump replacing them with new quality sustainable parts

Sintet Village

  • Both handpumps are bringing out clean drinking water, to the delight of the community
  • Kombeh is demonstrating how to the effective hand washing that she just learned
  • 75 year old Kaddy also wants to help in what way she can, she cooks green tea for the workers as her contribution towards the project
  • Mounting new conversion heads
  • Solidifying the well and water trough to provide water for domestic animals is important part of the project. It helps stop water wastage
  • Some of the German Mark 2 handpump parts ordered from Germany by the contractor, just for durability and quality service for the project
  • All hands on deck
  • Some members of the community came out to support workers while others went to get food for them
  • Work in progress as they share ideas and technicalities of the work

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To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.