Physical Health Guinea-Bissau Project #33309

Water, Health & Women's Empowerment- Guinea Bissau

by WellFound

Water, Health & Women's Empowerment- Guinea Bissau

Project Report | Aug 20, 2021
An Update From Guinea Bissau

By Steven Bratten | International Project Officer

Right now in Guinea Bissau we are coming to the end of the rainy season, going into our 11th year working in Guinea Bissau. We are still managing to improve year upon year. Work during the rainy season is very difficult, with transport more trecherous than ever, mosquitos and challenges for the market gardens, but we power on. We would like to take this opportunity to share some of the achievements since last years' rainy season.

Water

In the past year, we have brought safe drinking water to over 11, 000 people in Guinea Bissau. This is an outstanding achievement, especially considering the remote nature of the regions we work in. Additionally, we trained 10 young people to maintain the wells. We make sure that each village has several people with the knowledge and skills needed. Those people live in the villages, meaning that when a well needs attention there is always someone who knows how to fix it.

Kids helping their parents fetch the daily water for their homes

Market Gardens

Since April last year, we have trained over 350 women on sustainable farming methods and supported villages to set up three new market gardens. These give people access to a balanced and healthy diet, and are a source of economic, social and emotional empowerment for women. Women sell excess yields at market, meaning that for the first time in many of their lives they are making their own money.

The women’s group in Naga taking stock of the market garden produce

Equality

We held 69 workshops focusing on equality last year. As a result, over 550 women have reported and demonstrated more confidence in participating in village decision-making. That’s not all, at least 652 men have reported and showed more supportive attitudes and behaviour towards women. Women now have opportunities to take more active roles in their villages. They provide healthcare, income and vegetables and they participate in decision-making committees.

The women’s group in Tchil getting ready to start farming

Financial independence

This is a key aspect to ensure independence. We can help build financial independence in two ways. Firstly, individual incomes can be increased by providing training for people on construction and mechanics, sustainable farming and how to find local economic opportunities. Secondly, whole villages can become financially independent by establishing community-wide micro-saving schemes.

Coronavirus

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been seeing severe hardship and food shortages across the country. While much of the western world is reutrning to a sense of normality, many people in Guinea Bissau are still suffering from the effects of the pandemic, fiancially and with regards to health. We are tackling this virus and its effect on some of the most underserved areas in Guinea Bissau whilst of course ensuring the safety of our staff and residents of the villages whom we serve.

We are focusing on building more hand washing stations, providing health and hygiene training, horticulture training and on raising awareness of coronavirus. We are working in partnership with the Guinea Bissau Government and other organisations, to increase our effectiveness.

We are looking for donations to support those vulnerable people whom need support with water, food, more opportunities for people to earn income, and information on how to stay safe.

Until then, stay safe, stay positive and from everyone here at WellFound, thank you for your support.

If you would want to know more about our work in Guinea Bissau, please email contact@wellfound.org.uk

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Jul 19, 2021
Ways to Get Involved

By Charity Otote | Marketing and Communications Volunteer

It’s easy to feel powerless at home when thinking about injustice. However, there is so much that you can do to get involved and make a difference!

Here are just a few of the many ways you can take action by supporting charities:

Share content

Sharing helps to generate more traffic to websites and social media platforms. This helps to increase the visibility of a charity so that more people are aware of who they are and what they do. As a result, charities are able to reach even more people and receive more donations to fund projects. Whether you are liking posts on Instagram or Facebook, retweeting, or reposting on your stories, your engagement really does go a long way!

Volunteer

There are multiple ways to do this – from fundraising to marketing and administration you can definitely find something that is suited to you! It’s a great opportunity to develop skills and be creative whilst helping others in the process. Ways to fundraise could range from hosting a games night with friends and family, holding an auction or doing an activity you enjoy such as swimming and getting sponsored for it. (For more fundraising ideas look out for our next post!)

You can sign up to the newsletters of charities and stay updated on the latest news and projects that are currently underway. Receiving regular updates on the work they have done and their plans going forward is a great way to feel part of the community and engage more with what they do.

Donate

Your donations fund the work that organisations carry out. Such generosity truly changes the lives of others and empowers those who need it the most. WellFound have multiple platforms to do so including GlobalGiving and 100% of all donations go directly to our projects. We are truly grateful for every penny we receive!

Sometimes it feels as though these actions do not amount to much and it is very easy to feel detached. Just remember that every time you take these small steps you are making a big difference in someone else’s life!

To find out more ways you can get involved and grow our community email us at contact@wellfound.org.uk

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Jun 25, 2021
The Power of Water

By Mikee Chong | Marketing and Communications Volunteer

The Power of Water

Water is a fundamental human need, yet in the west, we don’t often consider our access to clean water a privilege. But what if I told you that 785 million– or 1 in 9– people lack access to safe water, and 2 billion– or 1 in 3– people lack access to a toilet? These are the statistics as of 2020, according to the World Economic Forum.

Although water covers 70% of our planet, freshwater – the water that we drink, wash, and irrigate crops with – only constitutes 3% of the world’s water, but 2.5% is unavailable: locked up in glaciers, polar ice caps, atmosphere, and soil; is highly polluted or lies too far under the earth's surface to be extracted at an affordable cost. Therefore just 0.5% of the earth's water is available fresh water. The global water crisis, which has resulted from a combination of climate change, increased water usage, overpopulation and deforestation is a serious issue that affects many communities from Sub-Saharan Africa to Asia. As a result, many people struggle to access the quantity and quality of water they need for drinking, cooking, washing and growing crops. It affects communities deeply, as they must spend hours every day fetching and carrying water, depriving them of their ability to go to school, earn income or grow food. Due to the limited availability of water, they often resort to unsafe water sources, such as swamps and polluted lakes, which expose them to diseases like cholera, typhoid, and other water-borne illnesses.

Having access to clean water has far-reaching effects, providing not only improved sanitation and health, but also unlocking opportunities for education and economic prosperity. According to the WHO, 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea because of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene; 43% of these deaths affect children under the age of 5. Helping communities to access safe water and health education can prevent these deaths and allow for a more prosperous, healthier society. Women and girls, who are often responsible for collecting water in many of the affected countries, will be given their time back, have opportunities for work and education and be empowered to take charge of their own futures.

With your support, we can continue our efforts in Guinea Bissau to provide clean water wells within each community that we partner with. Through building wells, providing residents with training on how to maintain these wells, and providing education on gender equality, nutrition, sanitation, health and growing their own crop businesses, we have seen huge changes in each community that we have worked with. This is a testament to the power of water; that given the resources and empowerment, everyone can experience and sustain an improved way of life.

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