Background/Problem
The population is causing many a socio-economic problems viz., poverty, unemployment, lack of food, education, minimum housing, health care, and in access to safe drinking water. In respect of Human Development Index (HDI), Sierra Leone ranked at 182 out of 189 Countries (UNDP report 2019).

In Sierra Leone about 45% rural poor do not have access to safe Drinking water. The drinking water crisis in Sierra Leone Cities has reached explosive proportions. Elsewhere, selling of water has become a lucrative business. On Rickshaws, bicycles or in road tankers, private suppliers for water from outside city limits and sell it per bucket to the city’s thirsty populace. Under these conditions, the worst affected are the poor. They cannot afford to buy water from private suppliers. Thus they are forced to use any water that is available even it is highly contaminated. Consequently, it is this section of the population that is most often hit by water borne epidemics of Jaundice, Cholera or gastroenteritis.
Northeast is the second largest populated districts in Sierra Leone, both in area and population. It has a population of about 5 million as on to-day. 80% people live in Rural areas. Andhra Pradesh has a illiteracy rate of 54.5% Illiteracy is highly prevalent in rural areas.
The Multidimensional Nature of Poverty
UNDP’s Human Development Report 1997 introduced the concept of human poverty. It
argued that if income is not sum total of well-being, lack of income cannot be the sum total
of poverty. Human poverty does not focus on what people do or do not have, but on what
they can or cannot do. It is deprivation in the most essential capabilities if life, including
leading a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, having adequate economic
provisioning and participating fully in the life of the community.
Water is essential prerequisite for development and growth. In fact, all civilizations have
evolved around water. The World has entered the 21st century with an enormous
challenge ‘Safe Drinking water for all’ according to the Global Water supply and
Sanitation Assessment Report over one billion people across the World do not have
access to adequate and safe drinking water facilities.
Women and children, especially those living in rural areas, are disproportionately affected.
Rural women can spend hours every day collecting and carting water, either from
communal taps or directly from streams and rivers. Long cartage distances pose
particular difficulties for elderly people and those with disabilities. Poor communities are
often unable to afford the costs of maintaining pumps and bore holes, or lack the skills to
do so.
Target Communities
100 Communities in the rural & urban slum areas
Brief outline of the organization:
Smile Always Foundation is an organization serving the poor and needy people especially children in the community in rural & urban slum areas and Tribal hill areas and backward communities. TheOrganization is helping children and their communities towards a wholesome future filledwith hope, dignity, justice and peace. Reaching out to the poorest of the poor in target
areas without respect to caste, colour and creed. ‘Smile always’ works through partnerships to bring about lasting change in the lives of vulnerable people. ‘Smile always’ is an independent entity within our country with a distinctly national identity.

An active Board of Executive Committee governs Smile always Foundation.
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Vision
“Vulnerable children, their families and communities are developed towards wholesome
future filled with hope, dignity, justice and peace”.
Mission
“We are dedicated to care children, promote independence and build strong families
through activities with the resources available.”

Brief outline and rationale of the project:
Save Life Initiative is an Organization that committed to serve the vulnerable people in the community for their Sustainable Development. Save Life Initiative has been extending services like Child care and Education, Integrated Community Development and Drinking water bore wells in the target areas. There is no doubt that Water and Sustainable Development are inextricably linked. Without adequate supplies and management of fresh water sources, sustainable development simply cannot take place.
‘Save life’ has been providing Drinking Water Bore Wells in the northeast of sierra leone
However, the resources are limited but there is a great need for safe water in the backward rural areas in both the districts. There are many communities where the bore wells provided by the Government are damaged and need repair and deepening to draw water. In these areas the rural households have no access to piped water schemes to meet drinking and domestic water needs. Most use water from tube wells or open wells, while a small minority uses tanks and springs. Hence, there is a high dependence on groundwater for drinking and other domestic purposes. Poor rural households collect water from community sources, which are often remote and spend much time in collecting water. The collected water is causing water-borne diseases. Diseases due to contamination of drinking water constitute a major burden on health. Improvement in the
quality of drinking water will significantly benefit the health and wellbeing of people.
Therefore, the organization is working towards providing safe drinking water to the maximum extent possible in its target villages.
Children are perhaps the most cheerful and omnipresent facet of rural villages. Curious, unafraid to stare, and ready to smile, they are unconcerned about their running noses, bare feet, unkempt hair and ragged clothes. If they are fortunate enough to have a school and a regular and dedicated teacher – and if their parents can spare them from work - they get an education. But more often than not, the conditions are not ripe. They
are often uninformed about health issues, hygiene and sanitation, since their mothers are often uninformed too. Diseases can still kill and infant mortality is still high in many parts of rural Sierra Leone.

Problems and water challenges currently faced:
The people in the target areas trek long distances to collect water from the streams which are contaminated. The women, girl child and children spend much time in getting pots of water for their drinking and usage purposes. Traditionally, poor rural women have worked alongside their husbands in fields, brought up children and managed the house, kept accounts, collected water, fuel wood, and fodder, looked after the animals, and looked after their husbands, children and in-laws. They are poorly educated (mostly illiterate), either due to the prevailing custom of not educating girl children or a lack of means while growing up, and they have little time or opportunity once they are married off.

The people especially, the children are affected with water-borne diseases.
The provision of safe drinking water is a key development issue in the target areas, where rural households have no access to clean and safe water and communicable diseases are water-related. Rural households in the rural districts suffer frequent outbreaks of jaundice, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis. Some of the challenges in providing clean water in rural areas include geographic remoteness, poor maintenance of existing systems,and a paucity of public funds. Social factors also contribute to poor service levels in rural areas, notably the caste system and high rates of illiteracy. Providing safe drinking water to poor families in the rural areas of Koinadugu District, Karene District and Bombali District are critical for the economic development of the region as well as for improving health and living conditions.

The general situation is dismal. The target rural households had no access to sanitation facilities and no latrine facilities. The rural households, thus, use ‘the bush’. Our Project beneficiaries belong to Backward Class, Scheduled Caste and Tribal communities who are poor and marginalized. The beneficiaries are laborers in the agricultural fields and some of them go to nearby town in search of their livelihood. While taking our surveys in the remote villages the people in the community came forward and explained about the need to combat the scarcity of Water. The community came forward for their participation in owning the bore well and its maintenance.
Community meetings are arranged with village people. This is to mobilize interest and enthusiasm as well as raise awareness about the project. The location of the project is decided by the Local people along with Village Head. The Children are also beneficiaries in this Project.
How many beneficiaries?

• More than 72,500 approx. people will be benefited through drinking water
• 100 communities (72,500 approx. people ) will be benefited through sanitation and Hygiene.

Maintenance and Sustainability
The project has long term benefit that the maintenance and repair of the Water system is managed by the community itself with the help of ‘Committee On Safe Water And Sanitation’ (COSWAS). The Project is aligned with sanitation and hygiene. The community people will get awareness on sanitation. The children will attend their school instead of investing lot of time on procuring water. The community came forward for their participation in owning the bore well and its maintenance. The training will be given to COSWAS members of each community in capacity building and awareness on Water and Sanitation to handle the water infrastructure in proper way.
Operation and Maintenance is required to ensure the sustainability of any project in
which a new infrastructure has been put into place.