Well Repair in Sierra Leone #582

Sierra Leone

Population: 9.7 Million
Lacking clean water: 47%
Below poverty line: 70%
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season; winter dry season
Languages: English, Mende, Temne, Krio
Ethnic Groups: 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10%
Life Expectancy: 48 years
Infant Mortality Rate: 155 deaths per 1000 live births

Status:  Funded (?)

This project is in the early stages of site selection and initial construction preparation.

During this phase, teams are working to ensure that the community is mobilized and ready for the work to commence. They may be working with them to gather supplies, prepare the site or organize a local water committee to oversee the project in the long term.

We will post specific details about the project, including locations, as they are made available by our partners.

Estimated Project Completion Date:
  02/28/2013 (?)

Check back for updates.



Well Rehab - Sierra Leone

Project Type: Well Rehab
Well rehabilitation is one of the most cost effective ways to bring clean, safe water to a community.  Sometimes it involves fixing a broken hand pump, other times it means sealing a hand dug well to prevent it from being contaminated.  These repairs, and often time total replacements, coupled with sanitation and hygiene training make a huge impact in communities. 





Country Details

Sierra Leone

Population: 9.7 Million
Lacking clean water: 47%
Below poverty line: 70%
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season; winter dry season
Languages: English, Mende, Temne, Krio
Ethnic Groups: 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10%
Life Expectancy: 48 years
Infant Mortality Rate: 155 deaths per 1000 live births

Partner Profile

Living Water International

Nearly 20 years ago, we set out to help the church in North America be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving the poorest of the poor. 600 million people in the world live on less than $2 a day. 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water.


For all practical purposes, these statistics refer to the same people; around the world, communities are trapped in debilitating poverty because they constantly suffer from water-related diseases and parasites, and/or because they spend long stretches of their time carrying water over long distances.


In response to this need, we implement participatory, community-based water solutions in developing countries. Since we started, we’ve completed water projects for 7,000 communities in 26 countries.


It all began in 1990, when a group from Houston, Texas traveled to Kenya and saw the desperate need for clean drinking water. They returned to Houston and founded a 501(c)3 non-profit. The fledgling organization equipped and trained a team of Kenyan drillers, and LWI Kenya began operations the next year under the direction of a national board.


That pattern continues today; we train, consult, and equip local people to implement solutions in their own countries.


Remembering the life-changing nature of that first trip in 1990, we also lead hundreds of volunteers on mission trips each year, working with local communities, under the leadership of nationals, to implement water projects. It’s hard to know which lives are changed more—those “serving” or those “being served.”


Our training programs in shallow well drilling, pump repair, and hygiene education have equipped thousands of volunteers and professionals in the basics of integrated water solutions since 1997.


Share and Comment