MSF Water and Sanitation Supervisor, Mohamed Kuyateh standing in front of the entrance to a swamp which the people in Masiperr village, Tonkolili district, Sierra Leone used as their source of water to do their daily activities.

The water in the swamp is used by the community mostly during the rainy season as the water dries up during the dry season.

In Tonkolili district, MSF drilled seven boreholes completed with hand pumps, next to the Peripheral Health Units of Masengbeh, Foindu, Petifu Fulamasa, Makondu, Makeni Rokefullah, Masiperr villages and the Ester’s clinic in Mile 91 township. These communities previously had little access to safe drinking water which contributed to waterborne disease cases in the past.

MSF has established trainings for community members to ensure that minor faults with the boreholes can be easily rectified. Repair tool kits, including spare parts will also be provided for the communities.

‘These boreholes belong to the people,’ says Mohamed Kuyateh, MSF Water and Sanitation Supervisor. ‘They are here to serve them for a very longtime. We want communities to be equipped to ensure the boreholes can do that.’