Water for Bo Market
Richard Hall reports
Sierra Leone is improving well in the UNDP Human Development Indices but remains 158th out of 169 in the rankings, which provide a comparator of levels of health, education and poverty between countries. The average life expectancy from birth is 47 years and only 38% of the population have access to safe water.
Local Government Officers at Warwick District and Warwickshire County Council became involved with Bo City Council in Sierra Leone through an organisation called One World Link. OWL has had a friendship with people in Bo for over 26 years and over the years this has involved Councillors at Warwick District Council. In 2007 a visit was made by Richard Hall, Head of Environmental Health at WDC, Glenn Fleet, in Waste Management, and Phil Triggs, in Finance at the County Council and they were accompanied by a Planning Consultant and former WDC employee Clive Harridge. The purpose was to scope how we could assist with capacity building across a range of issues.
A plan of action to improve water & sanitation in Bo was one of the strands which resulted from this visit. Subsequently links were developed with Environmental Health professionals in Bo City and with the Rotary Clubs out there and in this country. Rotary Clubs of Southam 2000, Royal Leamington Spa and Kenilworth raised money towards the installation of an initial, small-scale project to provide a water stand pipe and water storage facility. The Water for Kids Charity added £5,617 to the project fund to make a total of about £8,000. This project was completed earlier this year.
Bo is the second city of Sierra Leone with a rapidly expanding population of around 200,000 living in a widespread, semi urban environment. A piped water supply serves less than 15% of the developed area. Although it provides relatively safe water it is intermittent and inadequate. The project so far has provided clean water from this piped supply to a market area which is used by hundreds of people, many of whom bring their children all day whilst they make their living selling goods. The storage tank provides a reservoir of clean mains water to be drawn through a stand pipe when the electricity fails. This can be accessed by hundreds of local families and can also be used in emergency situations.
The plan is to replicate this approach in as many market areas as possible, so that there is access to safe water. In addition, if fundraising allows, sanitation will be provided to protect the installed water supplies.
