A House that is No Longer a Home...

From 1991 – 2002 a civil war devastated homes and communities in the once abundant and thriving country of Sierra Leone. During these 11 years more than 1.2 million people were displaced and over 300, 000 homes were destroyed as a result of the conflict. Now after more than 10 years of rebuilding many villages are still facing a housing crisis.

Rural communities in Sierra Leone saw the greatest destruction to their homes during the war - these houses were destroyed systematically and with intent by all those involved in the conflict. As you travel through the countryside the ghosts of these former homes can be seen & the challenge of rebuilding them still remains.

The primary challenge facing many families is lack of money for rebuilding. Even the most basic homes without electricity or water – made of local materials, like mud bricks & grass roofs – still require equipment and labour, which is often beyond the financial means of most villagers. This desperate situation has created an environment where homes have become extremely overcrowded – with large families & extended family members all sharing very limited space. Most houses that are still standing are in various states of depletion. Pests such as rats, mice & cockroaches are common problems in the home and so are mosquitoes that have the potential to infect sleeping families with malaria, as the windows do not have proper screens etc. The houses contain little ventilation, are very hot and often with leaky roofs and full of mold.
Without the help of friends and relatives, or a charity or foreign aid agency coming to assist – the housing situation for most rural Sierra Leoneans will continue to deteriorate creating health problems and strain on an ever growing population.

Now imagine being able to help provide a family with a house that has solid walls and space big enough for a growing family, a roof that doesn’t leak in the rainy season, and windows that have screens to keep out mosquitoes that carry malaria - the primary cause of death among infants and children in this region.

But let’s even go one step further and imagine a house that could filter and store rain water providing clean safe water all year round, a house that was outfitted with solar electricity so children could study at night, with an indoor bathroom that is sanitary, safe and pest free - imagine a house built to stay cool by day and keep out mosquitoes by night.

Now let’s go beyond just providing the people houses, let’s imagine giving the people of Sierra Leone a HOME…

Water is Life...

Water is Life...

Could you imagine if you had to walk 6 miles just to get clean water --- water to drink, cook, do laundry, clean your home, or take a shower - well that is what many people in rural Sierra Leone have to do, and most often this burden falls upon the woman and children of the community. These already vulnerable populations are required to travel miles and miles throughout the day carrying heavy loads of water just to meet their basic needs.

Having to spend hours a day collecting water prevents people from taking part in activities that could otherwise help lift them out of this desperate situation - like children going to school - with no education the cycle of poverty is doomed to continue. If there is no water food cannot be grown, and people remain hungry and malnourished. Without clean available water a multitude of illness’s constantly plague men, woman, and children in these communities - including typhoid and cholera, just to name a few.

In a country that sees both a rainy season and a dry season the lack of infrastructure that exists to maintain an adequate supply of fresh water year-round is one of the main factors challenging development. The simplest measure of providing clean safe accessible drinking water would contribute significantly to a villages overall health and prosperity. When water is easily available people can concentrate on other tasks - like growing food, going to school , and doing business - if people are sick they cannot work!

Clean safe water is being used and abused all over the world. Water security is an issue we must all become familiar with, it is not only limited to the villages of Sierra Leone -- but we can begin by bringing our awareness and attention to those most vulnerable, those whose lives currently depend on it.

A few facts about water...

1 in 6 people on planet Earth have no access to safe water - that’s 1 billion people!
Half the world’s hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water-related illnesses
1 in 4 deaths of children under five is linked to poor water & sanitation
Village’s with access to clean water can see a 50% decrease in infant mortality



*Water is Life*



For more information, or to see how you can help -- please go to www.khadarlis.org