Konela village water source has always had plenty of water, but it has never been safe for drinking. In its unprotected state, Konela water source is open to various kinds of contamination.

Community members spend a lot of time clearingoff what they can of the well’s algae, only to collect water already contaminated from animal feaces and surface runoff.
The runoff carries toxins from farm chemicals and household waste. People also use bucket tied to a rope to fetch water which also contaminate the water as well. Their feet and shoes further contaminate the water.

Overcrowding at the well is common due to the time it takes for each person to try to
draw water from the well, then scoop into their containers by hand using a smaller
jug. This time wastage is especially not conducive during times of the coronavirus,
when community members are trying to minimize their time in public and their
numbers at the water point.

Though the water source is located near community members’ homes, if they leave
you at home going to fetch this water, you may think they have traveled for a very
long distance due to the time they are away.
The environment around this water point is dangerous to those fetching water. This is
because the area around the well is not always kept clean. This well is not protected by something such as a fence, and this makes it vulnerable to animal access. This happens mostly when there is much sun, community member’s report, when wandering animals like sheep and goats will always find their way in the fence to drink water.

Community members attribute frequent back pain to the deep bend they have to use to fetch water while trying to fetch water from the deep well. While fetching water, you need also to be very careful not to make the water dirty, since this will lead to
increased illness. Community members also complain of experiencing increased rates of stomachaches whenever there is much rain, which pours more dirty surface runoff into the well’s collection area.

Other negative consequences of having to rely on the dirty water are how it delays
schedules and leads to conflict between community members. Having to wait for the water to clear between water users, means adults and children alike waste a lot of time at the spring. This disrupts schedules both in the morning and evening as students get to school late and parents get a late start to their work and meal preparation.

Though the water becomes dirty each time someone fetches from the well, the next
person fetching it always accuses the first of having done it intentionally. This leads to
disagreements among well users.

Many people have come to this area promising to help Konela Village members have access to safe drinking water. But those who come, village leaders say, make empty promises and leave without ever helping them. Many people had lost hope of ever accessing safe and clean water.

Konela village is a rural town that is made up of several combine villages along the
peninsula in the Kenema District of Sierra Leone. Konela village lies approximately
twenty five miles from Toima and about twenty one miles east of Korma. Konela seats on the kenema Zimmy highway. The major economic activity in Konela is farming.

As of 2012 the population of Konela village is estimated at 786 to 900 because is a
business ground as well where people comes every weekend from nearby villages to buy and sell goods.

The population of Konela village is predominantly from the Loko ethnic group.
Minority ethnic groups in Fomgbo village include the Limba and Temne.

The overall goal of the project is to improve the standard of living for Konela
Village in the Kenema District through effectively strengthening the effectiveness
of access to the delivery of water and sanitation services.

1. Target village, have improved access to safe drinking water.
2. Target village, and their leaders become more conscious of the hygiene factors
leading to good health and become more aware of the need to foster social
cooperation in order to efficiently manage water supply, sanitation services and
health education.
3. Local authorities and community leaders have a better understanding of the
linkages between water, sanitation and hygiene to poverty alleviation, disease
reduction and sustainable development and become better capable of planning and
implementing policies and actions for sustained delivery of basic sanitation,
hygiene and safe water to poor, under-served communities.
4. Local WASH actors acquire more technical capacity for provision and
maintenance of WASH related facilities and services.

With no more shortage of consumable water close by thanks to Hope Spring Water intervention, women and children of Konela Villiage will also have more time they can spend on other productive activities rather than trekking distances to access water.

The  project will directly benefit the villiage people. The project will promote effective hygiene promotion messages in the communities 

1. To deliver improved WASH services in Konela Village.
2. To build the related technical capacity for 8 youths in four sections in the
community on facility maintenance
3. To build awareness of health determinants in the community and hand washing
systems.

T he local residents who are equipped with the knowledge of WASH and related matters, have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring regular maintenance of the well.