Gbongay Project Stage One, May 2006
Wherever the Need is pleased to announce that the first stage of the project we are supporting in Gbongay, Sierra Leone, is now complete. To recap, the first stage of the project was to replace the hand pump that was stolen during the civil war, in order to provide clean drinking water to the 750 villagers, build a carpentry workshop and provide the first few hives and materials for a livelihood beekeeping project.
The first work we undertook was to replace the hand pump. This was installed at the earliest opportunity to ensure the villagers could stop their dependence on polluted village water. Unfortunately the Kardia pump that we had intended to purchase had increased in price by 20%, and we were pleased to find a satisfactory replacement at a lower price. The two photos below show the new hand pump, firstly with some happy villagers and then with its new concrete surround.
The second part of the project was the construction of the carpentry workshop and the purchase of tools. This is where the beekeeping hives would be built. The construction was completed very promptly and efficiently and is now a functioning unit. This meant the first batch of hives could be manufactured. The final aspect of this programme was the training of 35 individuals in beekeeping.
Hives and equipment were initially shared successfully among them, and they are now ready for the roll out of the remaining hives, and swarms of bees to inhabit them.
One unexpected benefit of saving money on the handpump, was the ability to build an extra room onto the carpentry workshop, and buy sewing machines and accessories. This gives extra people the opportunity to earn a living, using the room on a shift system.
The photos show the trainees in front of the new carpentry workshop and three members working at the new hives – we particularly like the one in the middle wearing a hat!
We are very pleased with this project and the way WTN representatives and the community have approached the work. We have no hesitation in recommending that we proceed with stage two.
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• May 2006