Safer Future Youth Development Project

Solar Projects

Water & Sanitation

Agriculture

Mobile Skills

Rainwater Harvesting Tanks (RWH-tank)

Sierra Leone is regarded receives one of the highest recorded annual rainfalls in sub-Sahara Africa between April and late September. However, outside the rainy season, the country suffers from water shortages the rest of the year. In rural areas , cut off from any water distribution systems, seasonal shortages of water are very common and the deteriorating quality of excess water from the rainy period deteriorates and leads to serious health and sanitation problems. The challenge in Sierra Leone is thus to bridge the gap between the rainy and dry season by providing safe and sufficient quantities of portable water throughout the year; until recently, the capacity for such year round storage has not been possible.

Rooftop rainwater harvesting provides an effective simple and cheap solution to this challenge. Rain water coming from the roofs of the buildings is collected through pipes in a big underground tank . With a simple hand pump the water can be pumped out and is immediately accessible. A filter for large particles of dirt and debris, combined with regular chlorine treatment is used to ensure long-tern water quality while in storage. the RWH-tank had a life span of up to 35 years.

Two members of Safer Future were trained in rainwater harvesting techniques during their stay at the Barefoot College in India. With the support of the Blue Planet Run Foundation, they implemented different projects to improve the drinking water and sanitation situation for the rural population. Another objective of SFYDP has been is to disseminate the knowledge of rooftop rainwater harvesting technology among rural people and empower them to maintain and disseminate the technology.

Community-based ownership has been established through water and sanitation committees, ensuring responsible and proper handling of the RWH-tanks, as well as quality and maintenance of the water supply system is maintained.

Well repair and maintenance

In the recent years, several international NGOs have constructed different types of wells in rural areas of Sierra Leone.

The primary challenge of the wells has been in the post-construction phase as communities are left without any knowledge of repairing or maintaining the water supply systems.By in large, there is no accompanying transfer of community ownership for the wells in the operation and maintenance of the systems, leading a large number of the wells to fall rapidly into disrepair. This form of investment naturally wastes large sums of money as the desired goals are not met as residents continue to suffer from a shortage of potable water.

Recognising the unnecessary waste of such projects, SFYDP intervened to improve the situation of water and sanitation in rural communities, as well as to build up local knowledge and structures for the maintenance and repair of water systems. Two members of safer future, Moray Hengoi and Amadu D. C. Bangura were trained in the operation and maintenance of these water systems and subsequently involved in the dissemination of this knowledge in rural villages.

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