With over 60% of the population of The Gambia living in poverty and many of these living in rural areas, access to water can be difficult. Frequent droughts, forest fires and flash floods mean sustainable clean water is a precious resource.

 

In Ramadan 2009 Muslim Aid appealed to the UK Muslim community to raise funds for a water rig. The success of the appeal meant that we raised enough funds for two water rigs to aid desperate communities in West Africa.

 

Before investing in such an expensive piece of equipment it is important to test the potential of the rigs and of the local community to maintain them and ensure sustainability. This was done through the delivery of pilot water bore holes.

 

These pilot bore holes were delivered by the Muslim Aid field office in Gambia in three villages and aimed to benefit over 2500 people. Muslim Aid Fundraising Manager Tufail Hussain visited several villages in July 2010 to witness how the project was progressing. The villages of Tujjering, Madinah Salam and Gunjur benefited from the construction of bore holes, solar powered water pumps and fire hydrants as part of the pilot project.

 

Elders in Madinah Salam thanked Muslim Aid for their work and stressed the importance of the water project in maintaining the village economy and allowing them to plant new trees and help the local eco system. Muslim Aid has also funded the construction of six classrooms for the local school which supports 250 young children in the village.

 

In Tujjering, 200 men, women and children lined the streets for Muslim Aid

 

“The importance of this project to the local community was revealed through the village welcome – the street was lined with over 200 school children, women and men who were all singing Thank you Muslim Aid! Before these projects the village of Tujjering went through a three month period of drought.” Tufail Hussain

 

Tufail attended an official handover ceremony of the bore hole to the community and listened to villagers give their opinions and thanks. A water committee has been set up to oversee the sustainability of the project and ensure everyone benefits from it.

 

At the official handover ceremony for the water bore holes constructed by Muslim Aid in Gunjur the local community thanked Muslim Aid for their work and for the school constructed in the village previously. The bore hole is constructed within the grounds of the school but provides water to the local Mosque and community. 

 

The community is also laying pipes to allow the bore hole to benefit up to 3000 more people and taking ownership of the bore hole to ensure sustainability. Once the older Muslim Aid bore hole had dried up the community was able to use the solar power panels for the school to have an IT suite, highlighting Muslim Aid’s focus on sustainability and continuity in our community projects.

 

 

 

Ground being dug to install water pipes in the village of Gunjur 

 

Water tanks constructed for Muslim Aid's water rig project in Tujjering

 

A Muslim Aid water tap bringing life back into the village of Tujjering 

 

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