A WELL FOR SINTHIANG BAKARY

Sinthiang Bakary is a village, inhabited by some 15 families and is situated in Casamance, the poorest region in Senegal, at a distance of 15 km from the town Kolda.

This village started up several projects in attempt to attack their poverty issue.
Amongst other things the villagers practice farming and cattle breeding.

The motivation of  the village population is clearly visible, when looking at the well-maintained huts, the drinking facilities for the cattle, and the clean , fenced yard.

Some months ago, the villagers requested the help of FODDE regarding the water supplies. Up until now they repeatedly constructed a traditional well themselves. As a consequence of the condition of the soil, this well regularly collapses. The village contains also two wells which they have dug and cemented manually. Because of this manual way of working, the wells are not deep enough (in order to avoid drowning, one can only dig until the water reaches the breast-height) and hence these wells are completely dry most of the time.

As a consequence of this, one must fetch water at a distance of +/- 2 kilometres (one way). But this water comes from an undeep well too, and thus it is seriously contaminated and clearly very unhealthy.

Please find more photos of the village during our first work visit, in 2006, december 29th, via the button "photos-foto's".

Request by the villagers to FODDE:

The construction of a deep well. If it were possible to dig a deep well and construct it in a lasting manner, then the villagers could have drinkable healthy water at their disposition in a  permanent way.  

Consequences for the village: 

• Immediate consequences: 

Clean, drinkable water: less baby- and child mortality.

Babies: having a better chance of being born in time, their mothers will be able to give a longer and better breast-feeding, leading to less prenatal child mortality.

Children: while not needing to fetch water any longer, they will have more time to play and to attend.

Adults: will be able to do their work more effectively and with a higher degree of satisfaction, this for farming purposes as well as for cattle breeding. Women will be able to do their duties with less physical effort, leading to: less health problems and less risc for premature birth and/ or complications during childbirth because the mother will be less exhausted and healthier.

Women can maintain more easily their garden; watering the vegetables is less tiresome and takes less time.

• Consequences long-term: 

The population can cultivate a more diversified alimentation which will benefit their health.

Better distribution of earnings; hence less risk when (f.i.) one particular harvest fails.

This means at a relatively short term and also permanently, for the entire village:

• A better health
• A higher standard of living

The key to all these benefits is and remains : water.