By Amin Kef Sesay
With the primary objective of having first-hand information and knowledge of the WASH Project which is supported by Heineken Africa Foundation (HAF), the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL), World Vision team, the Freetown City Council, and the Guma Valley Water Company have on Friday 15th January 2021 conducted a joint monitoring tour of various submersible water well construction sites situated in vulnerable communities in the East End of Freetown; Upper Allen Town/Mamboreh Community, Robis Community in Calaba Town, and Shell Old Road Community in Freetown.
The rationale for undertaking the visit was to get first-hand information or knowledge of the progress of the construction of some of these wells, inspect how completed solar panel boreholes in the different communities are functioning and to also engage community residents on the importance of the project more especially so as the construction of the boreholes is targeting over 6000 beneficiaries in schools, markets, hospitals and communities in each of the wards.
The said development is all focused on complementing Government’s efforts in combating the spread of COVID-19 through the provision of hygienic water facilities that can salvage water crisis in those vulnerable communities and promote hand washing practice.
All stakeholders shared impressive feedback sentiments as the work is in good progress and hopefully to be completed against the agreed timeline of which onward commissioning of the water facilities will be done in due course.
The project is a six-month WASH Response funded by the Heineken Africa Foundation of which they provided the sum of EUR 210,625 to the NGO (World Vision) to promote lifesaving hygiene education and hand washing facilities in the urgent fight against COVID-19 in the country.
It started in 2020 and the implementation of the Project is ongoing with its footprints to be seen in more communities in coming months this year 2021.
The partnership has agreed on key performance indicators which are that 16,000 people will be reached to access clean water, 12 water system tap stands with 24 taps will be constructed, 6,000 people will be reached with preventative WASH kits, 300,000 people in informal settlements will directly benefit from educational materials and with 200,000 people who work in the market places as secondary beneficiaries.
Many have described the intervention as timely and supportive to the people of Sierra Leone particularly at this moment when the country is battling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In implementing the project, World Vision will focus on the provision of pure water supply to communities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including mechanized solar-powered boreholes and water trucking services where needed.
Freestanding hand-washing stations will be fabricated or procured (such as Veronica buckets, with a tap) and placed at strategic public places and community health centres.
Soap and disinfectants will be provided at the hand- washing units in public places, informational and educational materials utilized in sensitizing people living in slums and their community health centers to outline the sanitation and hygiene practices to be carried out by both patients and healthcare workers will be disseminated.
For effective prevention and mitigation, World Vision is working with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to develop, print, and distribute social behaviour-change communication materials on COVID-19 and strengthen WASH promotion through community health workers at the household level, also emphasizing key COVID-19 prevention messages with special focus on actions to improve hygiene practices.
