This project has been completed under the direction of Emily Lundberg, Ph.D., Water Charity Country Director – The Gambia, working with Mike McConnell, Managing Trustee of GambiaRising, and Ebrima Marong, Water Charity Program Manager. To read about the start of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was designed to drill a borehole, install a German Mark II hand pump, and construct a concrete trough for livestock.
Emily reports:
The Mballo Ibra Water Project has been completed. The project included the high-quality mechanical drilling of a borehole to the depth of 40 meters. A brand-new German Mark II hand pump was installed and a 2.4-meter by 1.3-meter-long concrete trough was constructed as a drinking point for livestock. This will provide ample clean drinking water at all times for both the community and the livestock. This will, in turn, help prevent the loss of livestock due to lack of water, contributing to improved household income and nutrition.
The community contributed effectively to the manual labor, as well as supplying sand, gravel, cement and iron rods. Community members contributed tremendous effort to make this project successful.
The head of the community’s water management committee, Mrs. Fatou Mbye, gives thanks to Water Charity and Working Water Gambia for the project. She highlighted their enormous happiness at the completion of the project. “This water project has come to save us and our families,” she said. “Now we can drink abundant clean water and our animals can also have water to drink.”
The deputy head of the water management committee Mr. Jam Njie promised to safeguard the project for longer sustainability. He also urged the community to pay their monthly token in order to keep a portion of funds on the side for any future possible maintenance.
The community promised to adhere to this savings maintenance plan. The Alkalo (village head) and various compound heads and community youth leaders of the community also praised the project and thanked Water Charity.
Mr. Ousman Sarr, a senior teacher at the nearby Lower Basic School in the village of Ndowen, called on the community to send their children to school. Now that Mballo Ibra has this water project, they should send their children to school, especially their school-age girls, instead of using them for water collection. The use of school-age girls for water collection seriously disturbs their ability to concentrate on their studies and leads to many of them dropping out and marrying at an early age. Sarr urged the community to embrace girls’ education. The community promised to answer to his call.
The entire community of Mballo Ibra village say thanks to Water Charity and Working Water Gambia team for this laudable great project.
We extend our thanks to Emily for completing this important project.
