Water and hygiene in Sierra Leone

In 2008, we provided safe water to over 12,000 people. We also rehabilitated 22 wells and provided thousands of people with sanitation facilities.

Recent history

Sierra Leone emerged from one of Africa’s most horrific civil wars in 2002. Lasting over 10 years, the war displaced half the population and devastated the country’s infrastructure.

In the years following the war, Sierra Leone’s people made their way back home to find their villages decimated. Seven years on, 70% of the population live below the poverty line and life expectancy is just 41 years.

Immediate needs

The country’s water infrastructure was destroyed by the war. In rural areas in particular, much of the population have no option but to drink from unsafe streams and swamps contaminated by animal and human waste. Diarrhoea is now the second largest killer of children under five, after malaria.

What is Concern doing?

Our programmes have successfully provided safe water to thousands of people through 22 rehabilitated wells. We’ve also built 480 community and household latrines, providing 12,437 people with reliable sanitation.

14 schools were also equipped with sanitation facilities.

Community involvement

Volunteers have played an active role in promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices within the community. They helped to organise educational events. Thousands of people benefited from this project in 2008.

Picture gallery

Concern worked with community leaders in the remote village of Masaba, in Tokolili, to draw pictures (in the gallery below) of what the community needed to build a better future. This first map shows their village now, and all that remains after the devastation of the war.

The second map shows what they want their village to look like in 10 years time.