Health for All
LOCATION OF PROJECT:
Lunsar Town, Koya Rural District, Northern Province,
Sierra Leone.
TARGET BENEFICIARIES: 5,000
Community people including youths, male and female
adults
PROJECT DURATION: 90 DAYS
FUNDING AGENCY: Helping Hand
Organization -Canada
RATIONALE
In many communities in Sierra Leone, there is
no access to tap borne water. The inhabitants
appear to be particular about their source of
water for drinking. There is absolute dependence
therefore on water from streams and rain especially
for drinking. The tendency for use of water from
natural fresh water sources like streams and rivers
for bathing and for laundry is increasingly high.
But these water sources are also used by more
than half the population as a place for recreation
of particular interest is the fact that for 70%
or more inhabitants used these sources also as
toilets especially when away from home. Even for
traditional purposes. Streams and rivers are used
in performing customary rites for over 55% of
the population who belong to secret societies.
They also served for cleansing widows at the end
of the period of mourning.
Women and children virtually bear the responsibilities
of carrying out domestic activities involving
use of water. They are responsible for fetching
water for domestic use. In Sierra Leone, epidemic
trends of water related and water borne diseases
have been reported mainly during the raining season
in both rural and urban areas. Although the Ministry
of Health and Sanitation and other concerned health
NGOs have tried to contain the situation through
awareness programs and training of community volunteers
to help during crisis in local communities, There
are reasons to believe that the provision of safe
drinking water wells is equally important in preventing
water borne and water related diseases as well
as in promoting health.
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
These studies was carried out by groups
of health workers from the Ministry of Health
and Sanitation, which showed that in many rural
and urban communities, there is no safe drinking
water like schools, clinics, markets etc..
- the presence of shallow graves within the township
and villages make it unsafe for the existing water
wells to be utilized for domestic purposes.
- Most of the water wells were used during the
war for dumping corpses and co munitions.
- Environmental sanitation is very poor
With all numerous problems highlighted and the
surrounding circumstances the provision of wholesome
safe drinking water would greatly reduce the induce
of water related and water borne diseases in local
communities through the provision of hand pumps
wells.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The ultimate aim is to help in increasing
access to safe drinking water and in reducing
the prevalence and incidence rates of water related
and water borne diseases in local communities
in that particular area. This is in line with
the objectives of the World Health Organization
and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra
Leone.
OBJECTIVES
- to construct hand pump wells in markets, schools
and strategic areas within the township of Kissi
Town.
- To sensitize the communities on how they should
protect their drinking water sources.
- To facilitate full community participation at
all levels of the project implementation.
- To train community volunteers on care and maintenance
of the wells (at least two for well).
- To sensitize the community people on good personal
hygiene practices and care of water borne and
water related infections.
STRATEGIES
The following mechanism has been put in place
in order to achieve the above objectives by
- community meetings/sensitization programs
- community mobilization/organization of work
- Voluntary training for caretakers of hand pump
wells.
- Monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
- Supervisory visits.
PROJECT LOCATION
Due to the pressing need of safe drinking water,
the project will be implemented in two various
local communities in the Kissi Town, Koya Rural
District, Western Area of Sierra Leone. That is
the newly constructed community market and the
Kissi Township. It is envisaged that each well
will have to serve a population of 3,500 to 4,000
inhabitants. The project will cover some part
of Koya Chiefdom in the Port Loko District of
the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, majority
being in the rural communities that are blessed
with schools, markets, clinics etc. in some areas
which are run by other NGOs and community health
workers. The inhabitants are mostly school going
children, business traders, farmers, workers and
the general population. There water pipe borne
system which was abandoned during the war and
since then no proper water system in the area.
The water pumping machine has been burnt down.
METHODOLOGY
The project will be organized into phases in each
of its operational areas. The organization of
the work will be as follows:
Phase One
This phase could be achieved by regular meetings
with the community people and adequately sensitize
them through intensive health talks and thereby
encouraging them to accept and fully participated
in the implementation and sustainability of the
project.
Phase Two
This phase could be achieved with a clear memorandum
of understanding should exist between the communities
and the implementing organization, that is what
materials and activities (tasks) the community
will undertake, what should be done by the Donor
Agency and the Implementing Organization.
- The role of the community should be as follows:
- provision of land for the construction of the
wells.
- Provision of local materials including sand,
stones, sticks, manual labor (unskilled) and food
for work.
- The role of the Funding Agency should be:
- provision of all the imported materials including
iron rods, cement, nails, pump head and all materials
necessary for the wells.
- Provision of timber and working tools like shovels,
wheel barrow, head pans, pick axes etc..
- Provision of skilled labor and technical advisers.
- The Implementing Organization will be responsible
for supervision and implementation of the project
to make sure that it becomes a reality. This phase
will include site selection and provision of the
local materials.
Phase Three
This phase could only be achieved when the construction
works is divided into three stages, that is
- pre-construction stage
- construction stage
- post construction stage
Pre-Construction Stage
In this stage, the following activities will be
carried out:
- regular meetings to arrange the work.
- Local materials to be provided at the site
- The Funding Agency to provide the imported materials
to be stored in the community to ease the work.
- Work plan or schedule for the work drawn together
with the community people. (that is when to start
and finish).
- Identification of skilled labor.
Construction Stage
When all materials and resources are available,
the actual construction will commence. This involves:
- digging of the wells/holes
- casting and lining of the wells
- construction of the parapets (wells heads) aprons
and fixing of the pumps by Technical staff.
- construction of drainages round the wells for
protection by Technical Staff.
Post Construction Stage
The implementation of this stage will commence
immediately after the completion of the wells.
It involves meeting with community people including
their leaders. To discuss with them the following:
- the proper use and maintenance of the wells
- setting up a special committee that will be
responsible for monitoring the appropriate use
and maintenance of the wells.
- Training of volunteers that will be selected
by the community people.
The following should be focused on:
- the advantages of drilled protected wells over
unprotected streams and rivers, springs etc.
- how community people should take care of somebody
at home who had diarrhea and vomiting using sugar
and salt solutions. Etc.
- how they should protect their drinking water
- importance of proper refuse and sewage disposal
etc.
