Kenema District well communities, Sierra Leone

Don Carley is looking at what he thinks is palm oil seeds set in a very prickly pod; we like the uses of local materials to make such a nice stand.

We told them that if they plastered their well again, it would not break apart.

This young mommy was grinding rice; as she slammed down the pole over and over again her baby got quite a rocking good time!  This was way better than a rocking chair.

We put tiles under the spout so that the drip does not ruin the concrete top.

This well could be a model for others to follow.  This is not our well, but someone came and refurbished it, making it look so perfect.  It only has one problem...it doesn't work...the most important element should have been that the pump actually gave them clean water!

Sister Carley and I taking a rest.

Above and below, a blacksmith shop.  I don't remember ever seeing one in Africa before.  They even have a bellows to heat up the fire.

All of the wells we saw today were working, even though some had gone dry for one month in either March or April.  There is not enough water for everyone to use from a similar aquifer or ones from the same depth.  We might hand drill some if they are in the right area because they can drill down through a couple of water aquifers to where they can get a larger body of water to draw from where it won't go dry.  And the hand drilled wells, if they are in the right soil area, are half the price of a drilled borehole with a rig.  We are investigating this possibility.

This is one of the facilitators for this village where we did the training.  He was asking for more help, this time for a public latrine.  Elder Carley told him that we'd just been told that no public latrines would be built in Sierra Leone unless they were in a place such as a school.  They encourage home latrines.  All new homes built must have one.  We suggested that they learn about the different home latrines.  If they dig a pit we could provide cement and re-bar for the top cover and they could provide a privacy covering from local materials.  They might do an area project if they see that the community is on board and begins working.   

This is Mohammed walking with Jim--he is from SALWACO and we went with him years ago when we were deciding where we would be places these wells.  Jonathan is close behind.

Elder Carley wanted to know where they go for water when the well runs dry---this polluted river is close.  It is an easy temptation to go back to the river.