Conclusion Report Of Foni Bintang Karenai District Rehab Tour West Coast Region – The Gambia

Conclusion Report Of Foni Bintang Karenai District Rehab Tour West Coast Region – The Gambia

Jainaba is pleased to have clean drinking water flowing in her community

Foni Bintang-Karenai stands as one of The Gambia’s nine districts in the West Coast Region, positioned to the southwest of the country just south of the Gambia River. Positioned centrally in the southern part of the region, Foni Bintang-Karenai finds itself nestled between Foni Kansala and Foni Brefet. Dominated primarily by the Jola tribe and also inhabited by some Fula and Mandinka tribes, the district’s populace mainly consists of subsistence farmers who cultivate groundnuts, maize, and millet. Notably, certain members, particularly women, are engaged in the collection and trade of wild herbs with traditional medicinal uses, such as “Mborr Mborr,” “Kinkiliba,” and “sangfito,” which are closely associated with the district. The area retains its traditional tribal culture and has served as a wellspring of typical Jola and Mandinka tribal history and ways of life. Additionally, the district is home to an age-old Mandinka love poem called “Masannehsisay Bintang Bolong daala,” performed by local griots known as “Jali,” recounting the romantic involvement between a powerful man, believed to possess mystical powers, and a woman from a lower, less esteemed caste who is afflicted by malevolent forces.

Nevertheless, the district faces issues related to illegal deforestation, particularly the harvesting of rosewood, and is also susceptible to forest fires, leading to a scarcity of potable water. According to reports from Global Forest Watch, the district’s tree cover spanned 243 hectares, encompassing 1.7% of its land area in 2010. However, by 2021, it had lost 225 hectares of tree cover, equivalent to emitting 76.5 tons of CO2. The peak fire season in the Foni Bintang Karanai district typically commences in mid-February and extends for about 12 weeks. These challenges collectively contribute to hardships faced by the native tribes residing in the district, particularly concerning access to clean drinking water. Moreover, the district shares a border with Senegal’s Casamance region, known for a long-standing separatist conflict spanning four decades. Consequently, the district has become a haven for numerous refugees, exacerbating its existing clean water crisis. The border between Casamance and Gambia is extensive and permeable, marked by a lack of official crossing points and relatively unhindered movement. Historical interconnections between border communities, including intermarriage and shared social norms, have persisted since pre-colonial times. While most refugees have returned following a reduction in tensions, the scarcity of clean drinking water remains a pressing concern for the communities.

BAJAGAR VILLAGE

  • Members of the village water management committee happily pose after the completion of works. Finally the community have fresh clean drinking water
  • Head of the village water management committee posing after the completion of works
  • Ms. Ramatou is showing the skills she has learnt during the teaching session on how to do ffective clean hand washing. the culture of hand washing will be inculcated across
  • It is so hot and so the workers want to have the first zip of water as the completion of works gets near
  • Finally clean water starts to flow for the community
  • Dismantling the old handpump step by step
  • 78 years old grandma Ms.Tomaring is overjoyed with the clean water project. We now won’t be travelling far to get clean drinking water, she said.

The proposed rehabilitation project is poised to directly offer clean drinking water access to a substantial number of individuals, thereby significantly enhancing their overall health and living conditions. The benefits will be particularly pronounced for women and girls, who typically shoulder the responsibility of water collection within households. This initiative has the potential to empower girls to fully engage in their educational pursuits and also assist women in bolstering their social and economic capacities, particularly at the household level, where a substantial amount of time is currently devoted to water retrieval. Furthermore, the project is expected to foster harmony and mutual understanding among community members, mitigating potential conflicts that may arise during water collection activities.

BATABUT KANTORA VILLAGE

  • Head of the village along with other members of the community share the joy of having clean drinking water right after when all works were completed
  • Encouraging effective hand washing is crucial for good hygiene. Ensuring community leaders have the efficient tools for this task is part of our work
  • The community’s excitement and hurry for the completion of water projects is always there
  • Water quality testing plays a crucial role in our water for everyone program
  • Dismantling the pump
  • Dismantling twin handpumps is not an easy task but the workers are very determined and skilled to ensure clean water for the community is available
  • Work in progress

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 10 villages in Foni Bintang Karenai District by rehabilitating handpumps, installing new ones where necessary, and providing hand washing stations to improve sanitation and hygiene in the communities of BAJAGAR VILLAGE, BATABUT KANTORA VILLAGE, BATENDENG VILLAGE, BUNIADOU VILLAGE, GIBANACK VILLAGE, JAKO VILLAGE, KABOCORR VILLAGE, KANUMA VILLAGE, KILLY VILLAGE, and MANYINA 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 11,000 people.

BATENDENG VILLAGE

  • The happiness and joy is visible everywhere as clean water starts flowing
  • Head of the Village Mr. Kabiro is speechless with the successful accomplishment. Now his community have clean drinking water
  • Teaching village women how to do the detergent mixture for the hand washing station
  • Women mobilizing to support the workers
  • This is Jainaba Gibba, head of the women’s group in the village saying her delight and thanks with the clean water project and also the hand washing station
  • Hand work in progress. Dismantling the entire hand pump and changing the corroded pipes to stainless steel pipes
  • It takes strength and a full grip to get the work done
  • 11 year old Tida just finished washing her school uniform. She no longer have to travel miles daily searching for water
  • All hand on deck

ACTIVITIES

The project has successfully completed the dewatering, re-digging of the wells, installation of new German Mark 2 cylinders and conversion heads, stainless steel pipes, rod couplings, check nuts, pedestals, axles and bearings. Concrete water troughs were built, new culverts for the wells and concrete slabs. Handwashing stations were installed in all project intervention communities and 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. Learning sessions on effective handwashing techniques and simple water management strategies were held in each community. The communities also participated in manual labor such as digging and collecting sand and gravel. They also hosted workers to ensure that all materials were secured.

BUNIADOU VILLAGE

  • Head of the village along with other members of the community share the joy of clean drinking water for the community after the completion of works
  • Mariama is delighted to use the hand washing station. We will teach our kids to be using the hand washing station, she said.
  • Teaching women the importance of keeping proper sanitation and hygiene by using the hand washing station in the community
  • Meeting at the village square to learn about effective hand washing techniques by using the hand washing station
  • Children in the community can now concentrate on their education and prosper instead of going around searching for water for their families
  • Men at work
  • Dismantling the hand pump
  • Work in progress
  • Suwaibou eagerly awaits for the first drops of water
  • 12 year old Gibril won’t be using his father’s donkey cart to travel about 5 or 4 miles daily colleting water for his family.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

  • The primary objective of this project is to provide clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities to the people of the 10 selected villages in the Foni Bintang Karanai district as was done in the first phase of the project. This was successfully achieved at the end of the project.
  • The Foni region has long suffered from a lack of clean drinking water. The region has been hit hard by massive deforestation and frequent bush fires. The conflict between Senegalese forces and separatist rebels in the southern Senegalese region of Cassamance has also exacerbated the situation in the Foni region, which shares a long border with Cassamance. The mass movement of refugees from the recent clashes has exacerbated the water crisis for the communities hosting the refugees. One of the objectives of the project is to alleviate the pressure of the lack of clean drinking water in the communities and to provide sanitation facilities.
  • One of the goals of this project is to provide clean drinking water to marginalized, vulnerable communities. Foni has many isolated villages that feel abandoned and forgotten. This project has made them feel heard, socially included and part of humanity. For the villages that are close to the border, most of the time they felt abandoned due to fear as they are closer to the front line.
  • The project is also an empowerment tool for women and girls. We all know the burden that women and girls carry in collecting water. Statistics show that Foni has one of the lowest rates of female enrollment in schools. This clean water project will enable girls to attend school. The time spent collecting water will now be much shorter for girls in school. It will also help increase refugee children’s enrollment in school instead of being used for water collection.
  • Another important objective of this project is to inculcate the habit of handwashing in the communities. At each of the rehabilitated water sources in each community, a handwashing station will be provided with soap and a training session on effective handwashing techniques. Community members gather in the village square for the learning sessions. This is a tool to combat the spread of germs and other communicable diseases that can spread within communities, especially after using toilets. It also helps breastfeeding mothers and children understand the importance of hygiene and sanitation. Attendance at the training sessions was high. Community involvement was immense and enthusiastic.
  • In the Fonis, open defecation is not as much of a problem as it is in other parts of the country. However, another important goal of these water projects is to provide 24-hour access to water for households. This will discourage people from going outside to defecate. Household water availability is a catalyst for ending open defecation.
  • Another objective of these projects is to promote the involvement of women in horticultural activities at the household level. Each rehabilitated water source includes a concrete watering trough. The water trough collects wastewater from the hand pump and can be used by nearby houses for small-scale horticultural gardening. This avoids wasting water and allows households to grow vegetables and provide drinking water for their livestock. This helps to provide households with a balanced diet, alleviating the extreme poverty the communities face, especially during the dry season.
  • Another key objective of this project is to reduce the high rate of water-related diseases in the beneficiary communities. Children often bear the brunt of waterborne diseases. Some households are deprived of all resources when waterborne diseases strike a family. These water projects will reduce the burden on communities, and money that would otherwise be spent on doctors or medicine can be used instead for food or girls’ education.
  • Establishing and training village water management committees was another goal of the project. We established and trained water management committees in all project communities. They help with the day-to-day management and maintenance of the water source. This helps to make the project sustainable. As a best practice, we ensure that 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 sensitizing communities to better water management.

GIBANACK VILLAGE

  • The smiles and joy after seeing clean drinking water flowing in the community. Head of the village is unbelievably happy with the project
  • Clean hand are safe hands
  • Water quality testing and analysis while work is also ongoing
  • Mounting the water tank of the handpump on the pedestal
  • Commencing work with the dismantling of the old handpump
  • Taking every piece apart step by step
  • We are so happy with the water project in our community. We can now have a peaceful sleep now we won’t have to think of where to get water the next day, says Binta Jarju

BENEFICIARY TESTIMONIALS

As it has always been after the conclusion of all our projects, traditional and cultural leaders as well as women committees, youth and members of the beneficiary villages took turns to heap gratitude and delight over the projects.

Similarly, with Foni Bintang Karanai District, all the village leaders of the respective 10 villages 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 Yuba Jarju mentioned the great importance of these water projects in communities. This will help us stay healthy, as clean drinking water is the key to human life he said. 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. This is indeed joyful for the district said Sulayman Badjie another cultural leader of the district. We have long suffered to get clean drinking water. Thank you for these projects. We will forever remain grateful to you. Similar remarks were said by Filly Suso, Malamin Mambureh and Eliman Sawo. Women’s group leaders also emphasized the tremendous importance of these water projects on their community’s empowerment and secure water supply.

Samba Jarjusy a native of Jako Village and Mamanding Manjang all mentioned the hardship they face by going to nearby villages searching for water. On behalf of the refugees who fled from the southern Senegalese region of Cassamance during the war, Jalamang Gibba and Sariba Badji both praised Water Charity for these great projects. These water projects will help us feel at home and forget about our trauma. Water is a powerful tool for healing and we are extremely happy with these water projects. It will help greatly in healing our wounds, they said.

The traditional Chief of the district Alfusainey Jarju advised people to unite and collectively safeguard the successful sustainability of the water sources. Now that there is ample clean drinking water flowing in the 10 communities, thanks to Water Charity. 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. We all know the hardship we faced with the lack of water, this means we should work hard to collectively protect and safeguard the recently concluded projects. He thanks Water Charity for the projects.

Thanks to the donors for making this project a success.

JAKO VILLAGE

  • Finally clean drinking water is flowing in the community
  • Clean hands are safe hands. encouraging children to practice effective hand washing is crucial for household health and community health at large
  • Water splashes as works continues
  • Analyzing the twin handpumps and calculating the next move
  • More force needed for the dismantling and removal of the twin hand pumps
  • Strength and strength it takes
  • The old rotten cylinder
  • Corroded parts of the handpump
  • Dismantling of the handpump
  • Work with smiles and passion always delivers the desired good results
  • Work in progress as the old pipes are laid aside
  • Work in progress

KABOCORR VILLAGE

  • Smiles of joy always showing after the completion of works
  • Sainey is happily washing his feet right after the completion of works
  • Clean hands are safe hands These Women from the community are showing their hand washing skills
  • Perimeter fencing to prevent animals from loitering around the water source
  • Getting ready for the dewatering process
  • The old beaten down cylinder
  • Transporting the cement blocks through the donkey cart was helpful
  • Work in progress
  • Removing the old corroded pipes and replacing them with stainless steel ones
  • Dismantling the hand pump
  • Men at work intensely

KANUMA VILLAGE

  • Jainaba is pleased to have clean drinking water flowing in her community
  • Clean hand washing stations for the communities
  • Work in progress, fortifying the topping of the well
  • Laying out the ground concrete settings for the water trough
  • Work on the water trough
  • Dismantling the hand pump in progress
  • Taking every piece apart
  • Work in progress
  • Men get ready for work starting with the removing of the conversion head and the concrete slab

KILLY VILLAGE

  • Clean water for all, the key to a brighter future
  • Water quality testing
  • Collecting sand and gravel for concrete works to begin
  • Work in progress
  • Shoulders up and strong like a rock
  • Dismantling the twin hand pumps
  • Sunset from the village of Killy

MANYINA VILLAGE

  • All smiles when there is water
  • Clean hand washing learning sessions
  • We are very happy with this water project in our community, clean water is all we need and thanks for providing that to us, they said
  • Majula is happily pouring water in the bucket, now she has access to clean drinking water to the delight of her entire community
  • We can now regularly wash our clothes because we have water readily available thanks to Water Charity
  • Work on the water trough in progress
  • Working on the construction of the water trough
  • Clearing the area for the construction of the water trough
  • Work in progress

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This project has been completed. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.