World Water Week ... 2

In continuation of the previous blog post ...

According to the World Health Organization, here are a few key facts surrounding access to potable water:

• In 2017, 71% of the global population (5.3 billion people) used a safely managed
  drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed,
  and free from contamination.
• 90% of the global population (6.8 billion people) used at least a basic service. A
  basic service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes
  to collect water.
• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million
  people who are dependent on surface water.
• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated
  with faeces.
• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery,
  typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000
  diarrhoeal deaths each year.

As I work in the Fulani villages a few of the key points from WHO strike me as pertinent to the lives of the villagers: "located on premises" ... "basic service = round trip of 30 minutes to collect water" ... "contaminated with faeces."

The previous blog post focused on the digging of water wells to provide access to water: "one located on premises."  

However, the WHO criteria also addresses contaminated water which can cause diarrhoea, cholera, guinea worms ... estimating that 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

The World Health Organization further indicates:

      “

Diarrhoeal disease is a leading cause of child mortality and morbidity in the world, and mostly results from contaminated food and water sources. ... In low-income countries, children under three years old experience on average three episodes of diarrhoea every year. Each episode deprives the child of the nutrition necessary for growth. As a result, diarrhoea is a major cause of malnutrition, and malnourished children are more likely to fall ill from diarrhoea. ...  Diarrhoea is a symptom of infections caused by a host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms, most of which are spread by faeces-contaminated water. Infection is more common when there is a shortage of adequate sanitation and hygiene and safe water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.  

                      ”

The data from UNICEF - collected per country since 2000 - indicates that in Niger (in 2016) there were 7,955 diarrhoeal deaths of children under the age of five.  This number indicates a huge change since the data inception at 2000 in which 26,007 children under five died of diarrhoeal deaths - a steady decline each year indicates that the situation is improving through health projects and water and sanitation programs!  (In contrast, Canada reported 6 and most Western European nations reported 1-10 diarrhoeal deaths in 2016.)

Though this is a multi-pronged issue ... water, sanitation, and cooking safety, and health training in the villages is ongoing to address all aspects ... in the process of digging wells in the village we've been installing well covers on the village wells!  

The well covers have been designed to seal and close in order to prevent surface contamination through sand and faeces entering the well.  They also prevent deaths from animals and children falling in the wells.

This well cover was designed by the welding school and a teammate which was running in Niamey in 2017 and 21 well covers were installed that year and since, another five; with one final cover to install this year.  

Each well is measured to ensure a "custom fit" - measuring the distance of the inner circumfrence of the well in four directions.  

Unfortunately, the mold rings used to cement the rings in the well wall as the well is dug do not function on land (without the counter-balance of the earth on the outside) ... so every well has different dimensions and the circumfrence intself is not perfectly circular, hence the four measurements!

Once fabricated in the welding shop ... installation day!

Megan and I hanging out in the sun while the guys do the work!

The women and men of the village were all very happy to see these installed!  

In many of the villages where these well covers went in, I came back with either eggs or mangoes as gifts from the villagers for their thanks!

Checking out the tools!  

Finally, the wheel pulley system designed decreases the time it takes for the women to draw water from the well!!  

Previous effort:

With the wheel pulley system:

The women in this country have long hard days of work: pounding their millet each day to a flour to cook for their meals, drawing water from the well and walking long distances with a 25 litre bucket on their head!, taking care of their goat and sheep herds, cooking over an open fire, some manage a small micro-enterprise business .... the list goes on.  However, many development organizations indicate that time spent reducing the work load of women is reinvested into the care and well-being of family!

I can only imagine how many hours a day that this wheel pulley system will reduce from their work of their daily water needs ... as well as having a water source in their village site and reducing the 3+ kilometre treck with the water!  

May these children and families grow and have better well-being through a clean water source!