It is hard to comprehend the scale of the flood disaster in Pakistan, the 5th most populated nation in the world. Nearly 1600 dead, 1 million houses were damaged or destroyed, and over 60,000,000 people were displaced. 1/3 of the country is underwater. The extent of the August flooding in Pakistan was unprecedented.
As the floodwater slowly recedes, a new disaster is emerging as tens of thousands grapple with diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, dengue fever, cholera, and malaria. And it is the nation’s poorest that are most vulnerable. Every day children die from dehydration or from diseases due to drinking contaminated water: like cholera, an acute diarrheal illness contracted by drinking water contaminated with bacteria.
More than 10 children die every day at the Mother and Child Healthcare Hospital in Pakistan’s Sindh province alone, according to doctors at the facility – all from water-related ailments stemming from this summer’s devastating floods.
Moreover, there are an estimated 650,000 pregnant women without homes or access to healthcare, with around 100,000 due within the month of October.
“Many children are not even reaching hospitals because the medical facilities they could access are either underwater or just not accessible,” said Aadarsh Leghari, UNICEF’s Communication Officer in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s residents are at extreme risk of waterborne diseases and need support immediately. Water Charity, along with partners Wine to Water and Sawyer International, as well as the cooperation and coordination of our Liberia team, has funded the distribution of thousands of Sawyer (hollow-membrane) water filters to the affected regions in Pakistan. Please use the button below to donate to our efforts in providing water filters to those suffering in the aftermath of the floods in Pakistan. The more we can send, the more lives we can save.
Lower Saloum District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 2—The Gambia
The Central River Division’s Lower Saloum is one of the poorest regions in The Gambia. Most people in the villages of Lower Saloum are engaged in subsistence agriculture – there is a recognized ‘hungry season’ when little food is available, but agricultural labor is most intense. There are serious environmental and ecological vulnerabilities, especially with increasing desertification. Lower Saloum is home to Kaur, one of Lower Saloum’s market towns, once had a groundnut processing plant, with associated export trade via the River Gambia, but this ceased over a decade ago. Lower Saloum is home to mangroves, which are located at the interface of land and sea in tropical regions, and offer a considerable array of ecosystem goods and services. Mangrove ecosystems are highly effective carbon sinks, sequestering vast amounts of carbon within the soil, leaves, branches, roots, etc. This is the second phase of our Lower Saloum District Handpump Repair Tour.
Ballanghar Kerr Jibel Village (GPS Coordinates:N13ᴼ39.453 W015ᴼ24.801) Estimated population: 550
After dewatering and sanitizing the well, we will replace the twin handpump’s two cylinders, two conversion heads, and rod couplings; we will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the well’s conversion head, cylinder, and rod couplings; we will install two stainless steel pipes, add extra ground concrete, as well as construct a concrete water trough and handwashing station.
We will replace the conversion head, the cylinder, and the rod couplings; we will install one stainless steel pipe, a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
After dewatering and sanitizing the well, we will replace the cylinder, conversion head, centralizer, check nuts, and pedestal. We will add extra ground concrete to the base, and construct a concrete watering trough for the village ruminants and install a handwashing station.
We will re-dig, de-water and sanitize the well. We will then re-pour the concrete slab and replace the cylinder, install seven stainless steel pipes, add extra ground concrete to the base, construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
After de-watering and sanitizing the twin handpump-equipped well, we will replace the two cylinders, two conversion heads, 2 stainless steel pipes, and check nuts; we will construct a concrete watering trough for the village livestock, as well as install a handwashing station.
Buduck Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ42.339 W015ᴼ22.018) Estimated Population: 200
After de-watering and sanitizing the well, we will replace the cylinder, the concrete slab, and five stainless steel pipes; we will add extra ground concrete to the base, construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder, the conversion head, and the concrete slab; we will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
All these projects include costs for hand washing stations in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 and promoting community hygiene.
Sabach Sanjal District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 2 – The Gambia
Sabach Sanjal is in Upper Baddibu, one of the six districts of the North Bank Region of The Gambia. Its main town is Farafenni. The North Bank Division is now the Kerewan Local Government Area, and the former Upper Baddibu District is now divided into an Illiasa District and a Sabach Sanjal District. The district is home to Pakala Forest Park, a protected area in The Gambia covering 1,161 ha (2,870 acres). By and large, residents of Sabach Sanjal practice subsistence farming. Their main occupations are farming, including crop cultivation, cattle rearing, and fishing. In a recent assessment report conducted by the environment unit of the Ministry of Health in 2019, The Gambia found that most communities in Sabach Sanjal district lack access to potable drinking water and are still practicing open defecation.
After re-digging, de-watering, and sanitizing the well, we will replace the cylinder, the concrete slab, and five stainless steel pipes; we will add extra ground concrete to the base, constructing a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Nyang Kunda (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ32.338 W015ᴼ.29.145) Estimated Population: 400
We will replace the conversion head and check-nuts; a new concrete water trough will be constructed, and a handwashing station will be installed.
Mbapa Ba (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ35.199 W015ᴼ28.953) Estimated population: 800
We will replace the cylinder, the rod couplings, the bearings and the axle, the concrete water trough, plus the hand washing station.
We will replace the cylinder and the conversion head; we will add extra ground concrete to the base, construct a concrete water trough for the village ruminants, plus install a handwashing station.
After re-digging, de-watering, and sanitizing the well, we will replace the twin handpumps’ two cylinders, two conversion heads, and the check nuts. We will install four stainless steel pipes, construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
We will replace the handpump’s cylinder, its concrete slab, and bearings; we will construct a water trough for the village ruminants and install a handwashing station.
After de-watering and sanitizing the well, we will replace the cylinder and the conversion head. We will install two stainless steel pipes, add extra gravel plus cement to the base and the walls, construct a concrete water trough, and install a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder, add extra ground concrete to the base, construct a concrete water trough for livestock, plus install a handwashing station.
After de-watering and sanitizing the well, we will replace the cylinder, the bearings and the axle, add extra ground concrete, construct a concrete trough, and install a handwashing station.
After re-digging the well, replacing the cylinder and the stainless steel rod couplings, we will construct a concrete water trough, plus install a handwashing station.
NB: All these projects include a handwashing station for each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts to fight COVID-19 and promote good hygiene.
A Project to Create Access to Water for Libertad La Fuente – Mexico
Ejido Bellavista, Chiapas, Mexico
Libertad La Fuente is home to 41 families many of whom are descendants of the Maya refugees who fled the war in Guatemala to find safety and freedom deep in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. The community is located literally at the top of the world about 4 hours from the City of Motozintla.
To get from their remote location to the nearest town of Siltepec, people board one of the few trucks that provide scheduled transportation. They sit on wooden benches set up in the bed of the pickup as it picks its way through the impressively steep mountainside where one would not want the driver to deviate from the rough dirt track. The most difficult aspect of life in this impoverished region is the lack of access to water, a problem they have been collectively trying to solve for many years. They say that the possibility of having water on tap in their homes is a long-held dream for them.
Description of the Community
These families live by growing corn and other subsistence crops. While at the lower elevations below the mountains where they live, thousands of families produce the high elevation coffee that is sought by gourmet roasters but at the elevation of Libertad La Fuente, the cold and fog prevent them from growing this cash crop. The lack of opportunity to work affords them an impoverished standard of living.
However, some families have been able to enroll in a new governmental program that provided them with avocado trees and other commercial crops. For those who can transport their product to a market, this has given them some additional income. For the rest, the typical path to a better quality of life is to send a family member to the United States to find work and send the money they earn home.
Those families who have a relative working in the United States are able to build homes of cinderblock. The rest build their homes from rough-cut boards taken from the ever-shrinking forest. But no matter the material, those who can afford the luxury paint their homes in exuberantly bright colors even if it is just the front facade.
Problem to be addressed
The community does not have a communal water system. Fetching water every day is a tremendous burden for the women. They have to make many trips every day to fill their “canteras”, the large jugs they carry on their heads, with water from small openings in the limestone subsurface where it bubbles up. A woman can spend hours over the course of her day scooping water out with a small bowl to fill their containers and then haul them home.
The chore of obtaining enough water for household use consumes a woman’s time, and, as they explain, “It wears you out because you can’t get other things done.” The elementary school that serves Libertad and the surrounding communities also needs water for drinking and sanitation, a priority for the leader of the Ejido of Bellavista, the local peasant authority. For years they have unsuccessfully tried to obtain support from the local municipality to build a water system. Without official help to build the infrastructure, the investment needed to buy the materials has been out of reach for them.
This proposed water project will serve 246 people and the local school.
Project Description
The leaders of the community first approached Sexto Sol in 2019 to ask for assistance to enable them to build a water system. The water source they had at the time turned out to not provide an adequate amount of water during the dry season when it would most be needed. Fortunately, in 2020, the people pooled their money to buy a large spring that has good flow all year long.
The proposed plan is to build a gravity-fed system using a two-inch diameter polyduct hose that will deliver the water 3.8 kilometers through the cornfields and stands of forest to where they will build a distribution tank. To date, we have successfully used this material to bring water to over two dozen communities. Given the steep terrain from the source to Libertad La Fuente, part of the hose will be the more expensive reinforced caliber that will be used on the steepest grades since it will withstand the increased pressure of the water at those points.
The work will include digging a short trench at the source to create a passage for the hose where a small rise would otherwise stop the flow. Each joint of the 100-meter sections of hose will be fastened with metal O-ring clamps that will be screwed tightly to prevent the sections of hose from separating due to water pressure, thirsty animals or vandals.
We have secured a commitment from the manufacturer to deliver the hose all the way from the coast to the turn-off where the road leaves the pavement and travels into the extremely steep mountains. At that point, it is expected that the mayor of the local municipality will provide a ¾ ton truck and a local driver familiar with the area to transport the materials up to the community by making several trips. This will be an epic feat but the local people are accustomed to working out logistics to get challenging tasks done.
The community is organized and neighbors enjoy good relations. They have an elected water committee whose leaders will coordinate the work needed to install the hose.
Once the materials are delivered, they will organize work teams comprised of a person from each family for the collaborative effort to build the water system. Teams will carry the huge rolls of hose to the points where they will be connected. As the work progresses to lay down the water line, they will bury the hose where the terrain allows to protect it from the elements. They have secured permission for the hose to pass through the private lands it must traverse to reach the community.
Part of the work will be to build the necessary air intake vents or “respiraderas” as a safeguard against suction in the hose that could otherwise cause the hose to collapse when it traverses the varying grades in the mountainous terrain. Sexto Sol would provide technical assistance to help them achieve this.
Project Manager:
The project will be administered by Tamara Brennan, Ph.D. of The Sexto Sol Center for Community Action, an award-winning non-profit that has had a permanent presence in the region since 1997.
This project is part of the ongoing Sierra Madre Water Program, a comprehensive effort between the Sexto Sol Center for Community Action, Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association to improve access to water in the underserved and impoverished Sierra Madre de Chiapas region of Mexico, spanning the border with Guatemala. To date, this collaboration has brought water to more dozens of villages impacted by a major earthquake in the region and left without aid from the government and ignored by most aid agencies.
Monitoring and Maintenance:
Once the project is completed, it will be the responsibility of the water committee leaders to oversee the wise use and equitable distribution of the water by all users. A designated person elected by the members of the water association will be responsible for assessing the need for communal work that might be needed to maintain the water system including cleaning the tank at the source, repairing any clogs that might occur after heavy rains, and generally keeping the system in continuous working order. The parents’ committee will oversee the upkeep of the water going to the school.
Amount requested: $6,684.40 U.S.D.
The people in Libertad La Fuente extend their sincere thanks for your considering their needs and for offering them the hope of the possibility of making this most significant improvement to their quality of life.
This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion, scroll down below.
Community Description
Odropi is adjacent to Yumbe, Uganda. It has 400 households, and 2000 residents, but little potable water, sanitation, or hygiene. At least two residents died of dysentery in September 2019. The community is on the border with South Sudan and 15 miles from Bidi Bidi refugee camp, a camp with 270,000 refugees. The area is deforested and suffers low production and low incomes.
Problem Addressed
Description of Problem: Contaminated water, low latrine coverage, lack of handwashing facilities, one latrine for 247 children and staff, inadequate food availability, malaria, large refugee population that results in deforestation produce a high incidence of diarrheal diseases and death, pneumonia deaths, and malarial disease and deaths. Over-population results in low food production and inadequate income. Severe protein-calorie malnutrition is frequently observed.
Project Description
Working with the community and collaborating agencies, installing well with a submersible pump and solar power, latrines for the school, handwashing facilities, complete latrine coverage in the community, stopping malaria, increasing coverage of fuel-efficient stoves, and increasing food production or income generation.
The problems:
64% of clinical visits malaria
30% respiratory infections
3% diarrhea
3% malnutrition
Community Organization: CCEDUC
Project Impact
2,000 people will benefit from the project
Project Administration
This project will be managed by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Chris Roesel. The project will be implemented with CCEDUC Child Development, an organization that supports orphans and vulnerable children, vulnerable women, and marginalized communities in Yumbe district and beyond. Work will be done with the community and collaborating agencies.
Monitoring and Maintenance
A baseline study was done. An evaluation will be conducted with a DHS survey subset questionnaire evaluation. Chris will plan for maintenance of the facilities in on-going community meetings. He will monitor the progress of the work for the month he is on-site, then follow-up with the CCEDUC director, Ajaga Buran Innocent, and his National Pediatrics Hospital collaborator, Dr. Brian Nzano. One of his collaborators is an international community involvement consultant, Dr. Charles Pendley, who will advise him on additional ways to follow up.
Project Funding
This project is being paid for through fundraising by Chris, together with the Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association.
If you like this project, please make a general donation to Water Charity so we can continue to support great projects like this one in Uganda.
Comments
Zakia Ayiko said,
“I would like to thank our donors for rescuing thousands of lives of people in this community of Odropi Village through the construction of shallow wells and latrines. I am very happy to pump this clean water which will help us live in healthier lives. Previously, the only source of water we had was from the stream which led to the spread of waterborne diseases. Recently, we lost a woman to typhoid in this village.
Thank you so much for thinking about our vulnerable communities.
Be blessed.”
Success story from Faida Bint
I wish to thank individual donors for bringing this water source nearer to us and helping to stop water-born diseases in our community. I am very excited to pump it. Before we used to buy water, moving about 3 to 4 kms looking for water and at times fetching water from the open wells.
Success story from Ajiba Adraki
Since I was born I did not use a latrine my latrine was bush. And the same for my neighbors. I am very happy that you have put 100% latrine coverage in this village. Thanks to our donors for rescuing our life, my latrine is well constructed with no smell and a tippy tap installed.
Foni Bondali District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 1—The Gambia
The Gambia’s “Fonis,” the West Coast Region bordering Senegal’s Casamance region, has experienced intermittent turmoil overflowing from West Africa’s longest-running civil conflict, four decades of sporadic violence rooted in a separatist rebellion by neighboring Senegal’s “Mouvement des forces démocratiques de la Casamance” (MFDC). The longstanding currents of informal trade across Casamance’s northern border with The Gambia are pathologically bound up with violence and environmental degradation. Casamance refugee communities on the Gambian territory of the “Fonis,” variable in size but generally in the thousands, are long-standing and very largely “self-settled” with kin or other social connections.
In late January 2022, sporadic gunfire was heard from the Ballen Village, Foni Kansala District, West Coast Region in The Gambia, not far from the Gambia/Casamance border. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) military mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG) chased a truck carrying illegal timber. The truck driver maneuvered within villages in the Fonis and headed towards Casamance for sanctuary. Gunfire was exchanged between the two forces: ECOMIG vs MFDC. Two soldiers were killed and seven were held in captivity by MFDC. The ICRC negotiation led to the release of the 2 dead bodies. As of February 2022, a total number of 2,464 people were affected, comprising 2,204 internal displaced populations (IDPs). Presently, the region remains in a state of economic precariousness.
Atop the district’s existing lack of clean drinking water, the refugee influx into the Gambian border district of Foni Bondali has exacerbated the water scarcity crisis for a number of vulnerable villages. This humanitarian situation is alarming as the fighting intensifies. Thousands of refugees have fled from Cassamance and within its surrounding villages toward safer villages in the Foni Bondali District. This project seeks to rehabilitate water sources within 10 villages in the district to make clean drinking water accessible for the host villages, as well as the refugees.
We will replace the bearings, chain, axle and rod couplings; we will install a new tank, add gravel and sand, install 5 stainless steel pipes, and construct a concrete water trough and handwashing station.
We will replace the conversion head, the cylinder, the check-nuts, and rod couplings; we will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder and chain. We will construct a new concrete water trough, a new concrete slab top, and a handwashing station. We will add gravel and sand to the surrounding ground for proper drainage.
Kallang Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ13.846 W015ᴼ57.744) Estimated population: 250
We will replace the well cylinder and its stainless steel rod couplings. We will construct a concrete water trough for the ruminants. We will install 2 stainless steel pipes and construct a new pedestal, plus a handwashing station.
Giffon Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ15.866 W015ᴼ56.420) Estimated Population: 200
We will replace the well’s cylinder, the axle, and the bearings; we will construct a concrete water trough for domestic animals to drink from, plus a handwashing station.
Kalimu Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ14.580 W015ᴼ55.278) Estimated Population: 400
We will dewater and sanitize the well first. We will replace the twin handpump’s 2 cylinders, its 2 conversion heads, bearings and axle. We will install 2 stainless steel pipes, as well as construct a new concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
Bullenghat Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ12.040 W015ᴼ55.215) Estimated population: 650
We will replace the twin handpump’s stainless steel rod couplings, its 2 cylinders, and its 2 conversion heads; we will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Jending Village (GPS Coordinates:N13ᴼ12.442 W015ᴼ55.843) Estimated population: 300
We will replace the conversion head. We will construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station. We will add gravel and sand for proper drainage.
Bissari Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ12.125 W015ᴼ54.231) Estimated Population: 350
We will first dewater and sanitize the well. We will replace the apron, cylinder, conversion head, bearings and axle. We will install 4 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a new concrete water trough and handwashing station.
Fass Chabai Village (GPS Coordinates: N13ᴼ13.540 W015ᴼ59.349) Estimated Population: 700
We will begin by dewatering and sanitizing the well. We will then replace the twin handpump’s 2 cylinders and 2 conversion heads. We will install 2 stainless steel pipes, as well as construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
All of these projects include the cost of constructing a handwashing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s ongoing efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Foni Bintang Karanai District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 1—The Gambia
The Fonis are south of the river Gambia and part of The Gambia’s West Coast Region north of and bordering the Casamance region of Senegal. Many refugees live in the Fonis, following historical cross-border patterns of human mobility. The refugee community, variable in size but generally in the thousands, is long-standing and very largely “self-settled” with kin or other social connections.
For communities along the border and beyond, informal trade is normalized and quite visible. It is a livelihood and money-saving activity for many people. llegal timber exploitation in the Fonis has recently brought Casamance and The Gambia to international attention amid concerns over poorly-regulated global trade networks and the deteriorating planetary environment. If water were readily available to the people of the Fonis, they would be able to make a living by way of trade, husbandry, or subsistence farming. Residents of the Fonis would not be forced to turn to illegal or informal trade, nor deforestation of the Casamance region of Senegal.
We will replace the bearings and the cylinder, install 7 stainless pipes, a new chain, rod couplings, and construct a new concrete water trough and handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder and install 2 stainless steel pipes. We will re-dig, de-water, and sanitize the well. We will then build a new concrete water trough and a COVID-19 prevention-related handwashing station.
We will re-dig, de-water, and sanitize the well; we will install 2 stainless steel pipes and construct a new concrete slab, a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Jakoi Sibrick (Coordinates: -16.291, 13.268) Estimated population: 550
For the twin handpumps on the village’s well, we will replace the 2 cylinders and the 2 conversion heads, the rod couplings, the bearings and the axel. We will construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Gilansary Village (Coordinates: -16.137, 13.167) Estimated population: 400
We will replace the well’s cylinder and the conversion head. We will add extra ground concrete. We will rebuild the covering concrete slab, construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder and the conversion head. We will add extra ground concrete around the well. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the well cylinder and install 4 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a new concrete water trough for watering ruminants, plus a handwashing station.
We will begin by dewatering and sanitizing the well. We will replace the 2 cylinders, as well as the bearings and axle, on the twin handpump. We will add extra ground concrete to the base, as well as construct a new trough for animals and a handwashing station.
NB: All these projects include cost for hand washing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting Covid-19.
Lower Saloum District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 1—The Gambia
Lower Saloum District is part of the McCarthy Island Division on the north bank of the Gambia River. The three largest ethnic groups: the Wollof, the Mandinka, and the Fula. In The Gambia, one household or a cluster of households forms a compound, a unit which is fenced off from the rest of a community. In Upper Saloum district the household unit and compounds are large: the household unit ranges from 1–55 individuals and the compound ranges from 2–77 individuals. The majority of women in The Gambia’s rural areas—including in Lower Saloum District—exist in a constant energy deficient state, caused by poor dietary intake, heavy workload and a high disease infection rate. The advancement of ecological agriculture is of paramount importance to improving their quality of life and restoring the natural resource base of their environment. Water is the missing link in this advancement.
We will replace the well’s cylinder, rod couplings, bearings, and axel. We will construct a new concrete water trough for watering the ruminants, plus a dedicated handwashing station.
We will replace the well’s cylinder; we will install 2 stainless steel pipes and new check nuts. We will re-dig, dewater, and sanitize the well. We will reconstruct the 2 culverts, as well as construct a new concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
We will reconstruct a new concrete slab and install 3 stainless steel pipes. Prior to this, we will re-dig, dewater, and sanitize the well. We will add extra ground concrete around the base. We will replace the cylinder and construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Nawell (Coordinates: -15.358, 13.714) Estimated population: 875 We will replace the cylinder and the conversion head. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Kerr Sam Boye (Coordinates: -15.376, 13.703) Estimated population: 700
We will replace the cylinder and the conversion head. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
First we will dewater and sanitize the well. We will replace the 2 cylinders on the twin handpump), extra ground concrete, bearings and axle, concrete trough and hand washing station
First we will re-dig the well. We will replace the bearings, cylinder, chain, rod couplings, and construct a new concrete slab. We will install 2 stainless pipes. We will provide cement fencing blocks, add extra ground concrete to the base, and construct a water trough and handwashing station.
NB: All these projects include cost for hand washing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting Covid-19
Sabach Sanjal District Rehab Tour Phase 1—The Gambia
Sabach Sanjal District is located in the eastern part of the North Bank Region of The Gambia on latitude 13 35′ 0” N and longitude 15 26′ 0” W. The district has the river Gambia at its southern part and borders with Senegal at its northern part. Sabach Sanjal is about 125 km away from the capital city, Banjul. The district had an estimated population of 23,728 when the Census was taken in 2013. In majority, the occupation of people in Sabach Sanjal is farming. A recent assessment report conducted by the environment unit of the Ministry of Health, The Gambia found that most communities in the district lacks access to potable drinking water and eleven communities are still practicing open defecation (CLTS, 2019).
We will replace the cylinder, the conversion head, the chain, and the bearings. We will install 8 stainless steel pipes, replace the concrete slab, and construct a new water trough and a handwashing station.
We will dewater and sanitize the well. We will replace the cylinder and the conversion head. We will install 2 stainless steel pipes. We will add extra gravel plus cement to the base. We will construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station
We will replace the stainless steel rod couplings and the twin handpump’s 2 conversion heads. We will rebuild the pedestal and a concrete water trough for ruminants, plus construct a dedicated handwashing station.
We will replace the bearings, the chain, the axle and rod couplings, the tank, and the concrete slab cover. We will install 8 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
To this well with a twin handpump, we will replace the 2 cylinders, the 2 chains, and the 2 conversion heads. We will install 6 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
NB: All these projects include cost for hand washing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting Covid-19
Nianija District Handpump Repair Tour Phase 2—The Gambia
Nianija is one of the ten districts of the Central River Division of the Gambia. Nanija is a predominantly Pulaar-speaking region of the Gambia. There are approximately 33 villages in Nianija, the capital of which is Chamen, located at the district’s western edge. In one study, in addition to land, livestock ownership, ownership of farm implements, and off-farm income were used by communities as main criteria for wealth ranking. On the basis of these criteria, four wealth categories were identified, namely, the very poor, the moderately poor, the moderately rich and the rich. In Nianija, 80% were said to be poor or very poor. The very poor do not own cattle; the moderately poor own goats and sheep while the poor have between 1 and 2 heads of cattle. Land access was reported to be determined by the ability to cultivate the land. For the poor and very poor categories, land use was restricted and/or constrained by limited farm implements for adequate production. In Nianija, farming was the most important livelihood strategy, followed by both fishing and commerce which were given equal weight. Livestock rearing was fourth in importance as a source of livelihood for the community. One of the primary limitations on land use is the availability of water.
Bati Jaha (Coordinates: -15.114, 13.754) Estimated Population: 550
We will replace the well’s cylinder, rod couplings, axle and bearings; we will construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder and the chain. We will install 8 stainless steel pipes, construct a new concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
We will replace the well’s cylinder, rod couplings, and 2 conversion heads. We will install 6 pipes. We will construct a new concrete water trough. We will rebuild the pedestal, plus construct a handwashing station.
We will replace the bearings, the chain, the axle, and the rod couplings. We will install 8 stainless steel pipes, construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder, the conversion head, and the bearings. We will install 2 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a concrete water trough and a handwashing station.
We will replace the cylinder, the concrete slab, and the rod couplings; we will install 6 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
First we will begin by dewatering and sanitizing the well. We will rebuild the apron and replace the cylinder, conversion head, bearings and axle. We will install 6 stainless steel pipes and construct a new concrete water trough and handwashing station.
Paleleh (Coordinates: -15.129, 13.749) Estimated Population: 250 We will replace the cylinder, the concrete slab, and the rod couplings; we will install 6 stainless steel pipes. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
Wellingara Buba Bah (Coordinates: -15.153, 13.733) Estimated population: 300 We will replace the stainless steel rod couplings, as well as the twin handpump’s 2 cylinders and 2 conversion heads. We will construct a concrete water trough, plus a handwashing station.
NB: All these projects include cost for hand washing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting Covid-19
Nianija Handpump Repair and Handwashing Tour—The Gambia
As part of the Nianija handpump tour, we will rehabilitate ten wells in ten separate villages.
Nianija is one of the ten districts of the Central River Division of the Gambia. Nianija is a predominantly Pulaar-speaking region of the Gambia. There are approximately 33 villages in Nianija, the capital of which is Chamen, located at the district’s western edge. Nianija District is unique in that it has no boundary with Senegal. Its west, north, and south boundaries are distinct and are occupied by water for most of the year. Migrating livestock from neighboring Saloums and Niani, and as far away as Sami have been known to feed on Nianija swamp lands during the dry season. Animals from other areas to the west and the north (Senegal) also migrate here during the dry season.
Madina Sinchang Village: Coordinates: N13ᴼ45.414 W015ᴼ04.683
Mandina Sinchang has a population of approximately 300 people. The well in Mandina Sinchang is topped by a twin pump that needs to have the stainless steel rod couplings replaced, needs its twin cylinders replaced, a new conversion head, and the construction of a concrete water trough, plus a hand washing station.
Ceesay Kunda Village: Coordinates: N13ᴼ43.446 W015ᴼ07.916
Ceesay Kunda is a village of approximately 450 people. The broken well in Ceesay Kunda needs a new cylinder, four stainless steel pipes, and construction of a concrete water trough, plus hand washing station.
Wellingara Alpha is a village of approximately 150 residents. Their broken well needs a new cylinder, replacement rod couplings, axle and bearings, and construction of a concrete water trough, plus a hand washing station.
The village of Jailan is home to approximately 600 people. The broken pump needs a new conversion head and a new cylinder, new check-nuts, rod couplings, and 7 stainless steel, plus construction of a trough and a hand washing station.
Ngeden Village is large, with a population of roughly 1,600 people. To fix the centrally located well we will replace the Cylinder, we will install 11 stainless steel pipes, replace the rod couplings with new stainless steel ones, replace the twin pump’s 2 conversion heads, reconstruct its pedestal, plus a trough for the animals, and a hand washing station.
Nema Samba Village: Coordinates: N13ᴼ44.164 W015ᴼ06.866
Nema Samba is a small village of 120 people. The broken pump needs a new cylinder and conversion head. We will also construct a new water trough, plus a hand washing station.
Sare Janko Village: Coordinates: N13ᴼ44.637 W015ᴼ05.700
Sare Janko is a village of approximately 650 people. We will begin by dewatering and sanitizing the well, replacing the apron, cylinder, and conversion head, the bearings and axle, installing six stainless steel pipes, constructing a new concrete slab, a new concrete trough, and hand washing station.
Kayai is a village of approximately 500 people. The well we are fixing will need new bearings, a new chain, new axle and rod couplings, installation of 7 stainless steel pipes, and construction of a new water trough and hand washing station.
Jamwelly is a small village of 150 inhabitants. Their well needs a new cylinder, a new conversion head, new bearings and installation of one stainless steel pipe, as well as construction of a new water trough and a hand washing station.
Sinchu Baya is a village inhabited by approximately 300 people. Their broken well needs a new pump cylinder, new rod couplings, installation of 6 stainless steel pipes, and construction of a new concrete water trough, plus hand a washing station.
NB: All these projects include cost for hand washing station in each community as part of Water Charity’s efforts in fighting Covid-19
