The Safer Future Youth Development Project (SFYDP) has an own Water and Sanitation Department with motivated staff, who are very skilful in community training. The organisation has gained experience with underground Rainwater Harvesting Tanks (RHT), the repairing and maintenance of water-wells and different techniques of water purification like SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection). In 2004 two staff members of the SFYDP were trained in the method of constructing and maintaining RHT at the Barefoot College in India. So far the SFYDP has built eight RHT and is presently finishing the constructing of some other tanks in cooperation with Blue Planet Run, Peer Water Exchange. In 2005 Lifewater International trained three of our staff-members in well repairs and maintenance and about hygiene and sanitation principles. In 2008 two staff-members were also trained about Community Lead Total Sanitation (CLTS) by UNICEF.
Our main focus is always on the cooperation with the affected community. Community members are involved in the construction and totally responsible for the maintenance after completion. Therefore they are trained in the correct utilisation of the water source, informed about hygienic standards as well as water chlorination. Through workshops the awareness of the entire community is guaranteed. To exchange these techniques with other African Countries the Project Manager visited Timbuktu, Mali, in October 2007 to share his knowledge. The SFYDP as a member of the Peer Water Exchange program already cooperated several times with the Blue Planet Run Foundation in constructing tanks for schools. Another strength of the Water and Sanitation Department is to repair water-wells that are broken down due to poor maintenance. Since 2005 the SYFDP repaired over twenty water wells in remote areas. New hand pumps have been installed and through a workshop the entire community was introduced to the correct maintenance of water-wells. This helps to prevent further damages and guarantees the right utilisation, as water-wells are one of the most common water sources in Sierra Leone.

The project in it's implementation will work closely with the communities to achieve the aim of providing pure drinking-water. From the information collected during a survey, it will be ensured that communities that are badly deprived of safe drinking water will benefit from this project.

The technologies used involves maintenance kits for each community and India Mark II pumps for the new wells and old wells without pump.

The project will be staged in six phases
1) Survey and selection of villages and schools
2) Construction and repairs of water-wells
3) Maintenance Training and commissioning of water-wells

The only physical things handed over to the beneficiaries in this project are the constructed and repaired water-wells and the maintenance kits for the communities. Construction and repairs of wells will be done collaboratively with the community members, who will also be responsible to monitor and supervise all activities together with the SFYDP staff.

Since the projects aim is to complement the governments effort to provide pure drinking-water in the rural communities, the project collaborates with the local council and the programs of the Ministries for Energy and Power as well as Health and Sanitation.

During the maintenance training, hygiene and sanitation principles will also be taught. At the same time we will train the participants in different household water-treatment methods.

The projects activities will be undertaken in the following villages and schools in the Port Loko and Moyamba District:

New Construction:

Katongha, Primary School
Borup, Secondary School
Kebawana, Community
Foya Brewah, Primary School
Simbeck, Community
Nyamaina, Primary School

Well Repairs:
Daressalaam, Community
Royieben, Community
Salina Gbaya, Community
Moyomboma, Community