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FACE Africa
| Issue #11 - October 2011 |
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Dear Friends:
This month's Newsletter serves as an update on the progress to date of the Hope Mission School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene project which we broke ground on early last month. We are about 80% there and once completed, the project will bring improved access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene practices to over 200 students at the Hope Mission School and hundreds of residents in the surrounding Bernard Farm communities in Paynesville.
A heartfelt thanks for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Saran |
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Project Update
Hope Mission School
In April 2011 with support from the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Albany, New York, FACE Africa completed a technical WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) need assessment at the Hope Mission School located in Bernard Farm, Paynesville. Results of the need assessment showed that there was a dire need for WASH intervention on the school campus.
The school lacked its own source of water supply and like most residents in the community had to rely on an open well a short distance from the campus for water. A community resident told us during one of our site visits, "this well water is not safe to drink at all, but this is all we have now. As you can see, this well is located in the swamp, and when it rains all the water from the swamp runs directly into the well." Another resident who stood with two of her children told us the unsafe conditions of the well had led to a lot of illnesses in the community especially during the rainy season, when the water from the swamp runs into the well.
The school also lacked toilet facilities, and the outhouse which was under construction was inadequate for the students . Lack of sanitation facilities is also a major community-wide issue. Close to 80% of houses in the community do not have toilet facilities. Residents urinate and defecate in the nearby bushes and swamp and are expose to any number of pathogens and disease-carrying animals and insects. During the raining season, the feces and urine are washed into the very well that the residents drink from.
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the current open well in a community in Bernard Farm
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a young boy from the Hope Mission School draws water |
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Well & Latrine Progress Update
In September FACE Africa received a grant of $12,118.71 from the Voss Foundation, a non-profit organization established with a mission of raising awareness of the lack of access to clean water in Sub-Saharan Africa and facilitating improved access for communities in the region. With these funds, FACE Africa implementing a full scale WASH project which will include: a hand dug well, hand pump and a 6 compartment latrine facility with hand washing station. To support these efforts and ensure sustainability, FACE Africa will establish and build the capacity of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committee to be trained in water point management and pump maintenance. We will also establish a student health club along with the Administrators of the Hope Mission School to undertake hygiene promotion and encourage positive behavior change among the students. Community entry and sensitization which is vital in this type of development work was done jointly with the school administrators, students and some community members. In addition, community contributions were outlined in relation to project implementation, clearly indicating the voluntary services of the school administrators, students and community residents. Through a local development agency, Guinii Creek United Development Association, we broke ground on the project on September 2nd. Within 2 weeks, the foundation for the septic tank for the latrine was completed and the well had reached 20ft.  | | men hard at working digging the well |
 | | The well has gone about 20ft. Entirely hand dug |
 | | at 32ft we hit water! |
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Latrine Construction
See more photos of the Hope Mission School Project
 | | digging the foundation for the septic tank |
 | | workers measure the depth of the foundation site |
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latrine walls go up!
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Challenges
The Hope Mission School is located on an extremely hilly and rocky area. The entire landscape of the school's campus is situated on top of large "iron" rocks which makes digging extremely challenging and difficult. Workers have to manually crush the rocks, and at times burn rubber tires on larger rocks to crack them and facilitate crushing.  | | iron rocks crushed and taken from the well |
 | | some of the larger iron rocks located on site |
Despite the challenges described above, the project is progressing as anticipated and all activities will be completed by November 15th. |
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Upcoming Projects:
Project #5: Help the Children Orphanage, Soul Clinic, Liberia
With funding and support from the Port Family and Symphony Style Dubia, FACE Africa will rehabilitate a well at the Help the Children Orphanage, install a handpump, construct a 2 compartment latrine and conduct health and hygiene promotion.
Project #6: Williamtown, Careysburg, Liberia
With funding from the Global Neighborhood Fund, FACE Africa will implement a full-scale water and sanitation project in Williamtown, Liberia. Project activities will include: construction of a well and handpump, construction of institutional latrines, pump mechanic training for a designated WASH committee in the village and a comprehensive health and hygiene promotion training among residents. Project #7: Lofa County, Liberia With funding from the Liberian United Women in Progress first "Little Miss Liberia Fundraising Contest", FACE Africa will implement a WASH project in a community in Lofa County with no or limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The project will include the construction of a well, hand pump, communal latrine, as well as comprehensive health and hygiene promotion among residents. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS Wednesday, November 2, 2011 Voss Foundation honors our Executive Director Saran Kaba Jones at their Women Helping Women Luncheon in New York 
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A MILLION THANKS! Our supporters include such groups as foundations, businesses and individuals who provide us with the financial and in-kind support necessary for us to carry out our work. We are deeply grateful to them for their generosity and would like to acknowledge them: - The Voss Foundation
- Westminster Presbyterian Church, Albany New York
- The Port Family
- Symphony Style, Dubai
- Global Neighborhood Fund
- CoverGirl
- The Alabbar Family
- Pierre Cote
- Gemma Dreher
- Liberian United Women in Progress (LUWIP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is needed to help us accomplish our mission of bringing clean water and sanitation to communities in Liberia. Please support at any level below: 
$10,000: Give an ENTIRE village clean water and sanitation $1,000: Contribute towards a clean water project $100: Support the construction of a well $25: Give 1 person clean water for 20 years   |
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