Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-3

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-3

Water For Everyone, Water For Everyone - The Gambia

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-3

West Coast Region, The Gambia

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 third 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 Foni Jarrol District by rehabilitating handpumps, installing new ones where necessary, and providing hand washing stations to improve sanitation and hygiene in the communities of AHDULAI VILLAGE, BRUMEN VILLAGE, JARROL VILLAGE, KALAGI VILLAGE and KOLLEY 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

Ahdulai Village

  • The happiness is felt by all girls. They bear the brunt of water collection in communities
  • Happy times for the family because they now have clean drinking water in the community
  • Children enjoying the availability of clean drinking water in their community
  • The completion of the water project is a great deal of happiness for the community
  • Clean drinking water for everyone
  • It is good to see women fully participating in the effective hand washing training lessons. This helps to build the habit of hand washing
  • Sensitizing the community about the techniques of effective hand washing.
  • Work in progress
  • Water quality testing at the end of every water project is essential
  • 9 years old Jara Jobe pounds beans in a mortar after coming from water collection some miles away. She is not in school
  • Hincha and her children enjoying some groundnut. She no longer travels miles searching for water. Happy times with the kids
  • Now there is clean drinking water for the village. Olimata can go back to school and learn. The power of water in changing life for better
  • Severe water collection due to lack of water led to Jomma dropping out of school, as a result she got married at early age
  • Women can now have happy times for their families instead of travelling miles searching for water. They now have clean water in the community
  • Work in progress
  • Dismantling the old pump before installing new one
  • Millet harvest
  • This lady just got back from water collection in neighboring villages walking miles away feeling extremely tired
  • As usual in the day time houses are left empty in search of water from neighboring villages
  • Head of the village welcoming the workers as they start working on the water project
  • As the community suffers from acute water crisis. These boys go out searching for water in other villages miles away

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. 

Brumen Village

  • The happiness on their faces says it all
  • Head of the village testing the hand pump after completion of the project
  • Children look on as their father gets water for them
  • Head of the village exercising the effective clean hand washing technique
  • Naffie is happy to clean her hands after coming from the toilet. She is learning the habit of effective clean hand washing daily
  • Grandma making brrom from the leaves of palm tree while her grandkids look on
  • Water quality test result
  • Water sample collection for test at the Department of Water Resources central laboratory after completion of the water project
  • Mixing concrete
  • Removing all rusty and bad components
  • Removing the old cylinder
  • Dismantling the old and rusty pedestal hand pump
  • Youth of the community render their support in clearing the grass as the works proceed
  • Men at work

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 third 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. 

Jarrol Village

  • The jump and shout for joy when there is water available
  • Clean drinking water flowing to the delight of the community
  • Elders of the community pose for the camera after completion of the water project
  • Water quality testing
  • Dewatering & sanitizing the well
  • The well digger is deep down in the well working to re-dig the well and clear it from any other debris
  • Well digger’s work in progress
  • Well digger being lowered down the well to start re-digging the well
  • The well digger is about to get down the well again to start re-digging the well
  • Work in progress
  • Work begins

BENEFICIARY TESTIMONIAL 

The excitement and happiness are overwhelming in all the beneficiary communities. Heads of villages of the respective 5 villages all expressed their sincere thanks for the projects 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 these water projects. We often treat waterborne diseases at the clinic. These water projects will also help us in combating other communicable diseases. This is indeed joyful for the district especially my ward, he added. Various women leaders from the beneficiary communities emphasized the tremendous importance these water projects made on their communities. Fatou Colley, a traditional birth attendant also heaped praises and thanks for the water projects. She noted the important of clean water in their work as traditional birth attendants in communities. We face challenges without clean water to deliver babies safely. These clean water projects are a life saver and we are tremendously happy for it, especially the sanitation aspect of the project. Am happy now we have clean drinking water in our community and we are forever grateful said Aramata Bah, community women mobilizer Sintet ward also shared her joy for the completion of the water projects. We can now have a peace of mind as abundant clean drinking water is now available in the communities. We are truly grateful to Water Charity, ‘’jere jeff’’(thank you) she said.

Thanks to the donors for making this project a success.

Kalagi Village

  • Always happy times with clean drinking water for everyone
  • One of the youth elders of the community getting water from the hand pump
  • Installing the new conversion head
  • Working on the concrete solidity of the well
  • Concrete works
  • Dismantling the hand pump
  • Firm grip on the rod as the workers begin removing the iron pipes to be replaced with stainless steel ones
  • Removing the chain
  • Clearing the area from grass and other unwanted elements around the well

Kolley Kunda Village

  • Water celebration time for the village. The project is completed with all happiness and smiles for the community
  • Water is happiness
  • Jainaba is happy to be washing her hand clean by using the hand washing station
  • Hand washing stations help children especially to be trained on the culture of practicing effective hand washing and good sanitation
  • Training session for the community to be practicing effective hand washing
  • Women’s training session about the effective hand washing technique using the hand washing station
  • Water quality testing
  • Removing the hand pump water tank
  • Dismantling all the pieces out

To see project-related videos, CLICK HERE. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-2

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-2

Water For Everyone, Water For Everyone - The Gambia

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-2

West Coast Region, The Gambia

Happiness everywhere. That is the feeling after the completion of every water project

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 second 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 Foni Jarrol District by rehabilitating handpumps, installing new ones where necessary, and providing hand washing stations to improve sanitation and hygiene in the communities of WASSADU VILLAGE, NIORRO JARROL VILLAGE, JOREM DRAMEH KUNDA VILLAGE, KANGMAMUDU VILLAGE and CHEWELL 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 3,000 people 

Chewell Village

  • Elders of the community posing for the camera when the work was comoleted. They now have access to clean drinking water
  • Head of the village women’s group happily testing the hand pump after completion of the project
  • Women demonstrating clean hand washing skills
  • Head of the village Mr. Baldeh is happy with the water project in his community, here he is holding a local fan getting fresh air
  • Again all hands on deck with strength striving to give clean drinking water to communities
  • Removing old and rusty rods to be replaced with new ones
  • Collaborative work makes it happen
  • Seperating the old pipes along the old iron rods
  • Workers sharing ideas on how to proceed with works as they begin dismantling the handpump prior to the dewatering

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 Drameh Kunda Village

  • The community is celebrating clean drinking water
  • Fatou is a housewife with 5 children. She used to struggle daily to get water for her family. Here she is happily smiling
  • The smiles say it all. When there is clean drinking water, there is life
  • Ansu is a 4th grade student demonstrating how to properly do clean hand washing
  • Women demonstrating clean hand washing skills
  • These two village women sat to wait for the start of the training session on effective hand washing technique
  • Water quality testing is a key component of our works
  • Mr. Saine from Department of Water Resources conducting water quality testing after completion of the water project
  • As it rains, the guys are more determined to carry on working
  • Work in progress

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 second 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. 

Kangmamudu Village

  • The smiles are borad and bright after completion of the water project
  • Little Jainaba is excited about the water project as she gets the first taste of the first drops
  • Getting the first tastes of the water after completion of the water project
  • Sally is happy now she don’t have to travel 3 miles daily to get water for drinking and household needs for her family
  • Some men from the community happily getting clean drinking water for their families
  • The water trough helps to avoid wastage of water and it also helps household animals to have a drinking point which helps fight hunger
  • Women and children showing their effective hand washing kills after learning from the sanitation team
  • Rama is a mother of 3 and she now is happy to have the hand washing station in the community to practice effective hand washing be healthy
  • Doing water quality testing after completion of works
  • Some men from the community happily getting clean drinking water for their families
  • Removing the bad rusty pipes replacing them with stainless steel ones

BENEFICIARY TESTIMONIAL  

The excitement and happiness are overwhelming in all the beneficiary 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 other communicable diseases. This is indeed joyful for the district especially my ward. Similar remarks were said by Amie Manneh and Jainaba Sonko women’s group leaders. They emphasized the tremendous importance these water projects have on community’s empowerment and secure water supply.

Alfa Barry a native of Wassadu mentioned the hardship they face by going to nearby villages searching for water, especially for those living on the outskirts of the village. Now we can sleep well and be happy, thanks to these projects, we now have clean drinking water flowing in our community. Wurry Jallow, a baker who operates a local bakery making local bread known as ‘’Tapalapa’’, also expressed delight over the water projects. I could not bake bread for days due to lack of water in my community. This has caused distress in the community and nearby villages that rely on our bakery for daily sustenance. Am happy now we have clean drinking water in our community and we are forever grateful. 

Thanks to the donors for making this project a success. 

Niorro Jarrol Village

  • With clean drinking water, children can play and enjoy life better with good growth and stay healthy
  • Clean drinking water for the community of Niorro Jarrol
  • These girls can now wash their school uniforms easily and not to travel miles daily searching for water
  • Water quality testing right after the completion of the water projects is a core pillar of our work. Clean drinking water for community
  • This water channel leading to the trough collects wastewater for animals to drink from and women do household gardening
  • The village head is happy about the hand washing station. He demonstrates his skills after learning effective hand washing lessons
  • This training session is teaching community members the effective hand washing techniques
  • Little children like this one, are usually left at home alone while their parents go searching for water. It is risky for them
  • Dismantling the hand pump
  • Work in progress as this young man anxiously waits for its completion. He desperately needs water
  • Work in porogress

Wassadu Village

  • Clean water flowing now for the community. Water is a fundamental human right that needs serious attention
  • Binta is happy now she can breastfeed her child properly instead of walking miles daily to search for water in a 40 degrees celcius hot sun
  • 11-year-old Maimuna is happy she can go back to school instead of daily long-distance walks to collect water for her family’s household needs
  • This woman is washing her vegetables nice and comfortably now thanks to the water project
  • Encouraging women and children to practice effective hand washing is an essential core for family health and well-being
  • Involvement of disabled people in effective hand washing is important. no marginalization in clean water and sanitation
  • Conducting water quality testing after completion of works
  • Collecting water samples
  • Signs of goodness with the first splashings of fresh water
  • Removing the old and rusty cylinder
  • Work in progress
  • Removing the old and rusty cylinder
  • Clearing the area from wild grass and any other dangerous snakes etc
  • Road to the village
  • Almost everyone goes out searching for water and as a result hosues are often left empty paving way for intruders
  • This household head came from the farms while her wife and kids went to collect water
  • The water project is essential for livestock enrichment as well which can help lower endemic poverty in communities
  • They set out searching for water. This takes them hours
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To see project-related videos, CLICK HERE. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-1

Conclusion Of Foni Jarrol District Rehab Tour Phase-1

Water For Everyone, Water For Everyone - The Gambia

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. 

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

Flood Emergency Relief—Pakistan

Flood Emergency Relief—Pakistan

Disaster Relief

Flood Emergency Relief—Pakistan

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.