This project has been completed under the direction of Emily Lundberg, who is now Water Charity Country Director, The Gambia. To read about the start of the project, CLICK HERE.
Emily reports:
Nema Health Center and Nursery School water project has been completed. A 4.5-inch borehole was drilled at the depth of 36 meters, of which 16 meters was freshwater. A high-quality solar pump with two solar panels was installed along with a double-coated overhead water tank of 2000 liters mounted on a 6-meter-tall galvanized iron tower supported by an 80 cm round concrete belt. The solar panels were screwed in with bolt nuts for security and durability.
The community dug trenches and performed all the manual labor for the successful completion of the project. Four standpipes were installed at the health center, providing sufficient access to water for patients, staff, and visitors. Plumbing installation was also completed for the newly built staff quarters, providing a morale-boosting treat for staff and thereby re-invigorating their motivation to deliver impeccable and compassionate service to the sick and needy patients. One of the standpipes was installed within the clinic entrance to provide visitors and patients access to hand-washing before entering the clinic for consultations or other services. This will help control the spread of communicable diseases. Further plumbing was installed to provide two new complete toilets and two shower heads at both the maternity ward and the main ward. Two showerheads were installed for the outpatient wing, one wash hand basin for the labor ward, and a toilet for the health center admission ward.
The community dug long trenches to lay pipes connecting the Nursery School to the Nema Health Center. Two standpipes were provided for the nursery school, providing clean drinking water to the school children. Prior to this project, parents were reluctant to send their children to the nursery school given the lack of potable water and a working latrine at the school. The previous latrine collapsed, becoming a scary eyesore for the students. This project provided safe and high-quality tiled latrines for the students, along with a hand washing station for them to wash their hands after using the toilet, making the school more hygienic.
Ousman Sanneh, Chief Nurse of Nema Health Center, expressed joy at the completion of this project. He thanks Water Charity for providing this very important project. “Clinics simply cannot function without water,” he said. “We are sending a big THANK YOU to Water Charity for coming to our rescue.” The health center management committee chairman Abdoulie Jawara assured us of regular monitoring and proper usage of the water system for the system’s longterm durability. He expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to Water Charity and Working Water Gambia for this well-needed project. Bakary Jawara, the headmaster of the Nema Nursery School, also expressed extreme joy and pleasure with the completed water project. He thanks Water Charity for their support and says he believes that now that the school has potable water and working latrine parents will begin to send their children to the school.
Throughout the course of the project, the contractor was fully monitored and supervised to ensure quality service delivery. The community took good care of the workers’ welfare and performed all the manual labor promised prior to the start of the project. Special thanks go to the entire community of Nema for their hard work and dedication towards the success of this project.
The Nema Health Center has an empty plot of arable land, which the staff will use to cultivate cassava and bananas. This garden will provide high-nutrition food for the staff and patients. The same applies to the Nursery School; the headmaster has already cleared arable land that sat idle behind the nursery school to plant some pawpaw and banana. This will help provide nutrition to sustain kids while they attend school. Thanks to WATER CHARITY.
We extend our thanks to Emily, and to Ebrima Marong with whom she was working, for completing this important project.
