Eastern Polytechnic of Kenema, Sierra Leone

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Poor sanitation due to inadequate water supply is one of the major causes of illness and restricted development in rural West Africa. Woman and children in particular spend many hours per day collecting water and caring for those suffering from disease. This time could be better spent in education or earning a living. The hydraulic ram pump is a tried and tested device that can provide improved access to water as well as growth potential for local infrastructure. Using valves, an air chamber, and the flowing water of a river, it generates a cyclic shock wave that pumps water autonomously from a water source to a reservoir over a long distance. It is proposed to complete a 3 month development project with the Eastern Polytechnic University (EPU) of Kenema, Sierra Leone with the overall goal of improving access to water resources in the rural communities of the districts of Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, West Africa; making it less costly and much less labour intensive.

To achieve this goal the following practical objectives will be pursued:

- To manufacture and install a hydraulic ram pump water distribution system in the rural village of Bunumbu, Kenema District, Sierra Leone
- To ensure the stainability of the system through community participation, commercial incentives and locally acquired resources
- To establish potential for continued production of ram pump systems
- To offer teaching assistance at the EPU