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Liberia

Completed Safe Drinking Water Supply
Completed Community Washroom
Completed Equipment Training and Support Services
Completed Health and Hygiene Training Program
Completed Pump Repair Project
Completed Pump Replacement Projects
Meet the Team
Liberia Links


Lifewater's Work in Liberia

No one knows the value of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene more than the people of Liberia. In 1989, Liberia's 127 years of peaceful democracy was shattered when a civil war erupted. it lasted for eight years until 1997, and was followed by another from 1989 to 2003.

More than 200,000 people were killed. During the near-constant fighting, most wells and other water supplies were destroyed -- sending desperate people on a search for safe water that continues for many of them today. Very few wells exist and many are contaminated, broken, or over-used. People are often forced to draw water from stagnant swamps or ditches and therefore water-borne diseases (dysentery, cholera, infectious hepatitis) are common.

In 1995, Lifewater was invited to help Liberians address this water and sanitation crisis. Our volunteers were asked by the European Union and the Liberian government to conduct the first systematic testing of 150 communal wells in the capital city of Monrovia. The report said:

Today, thanks to donors like you, our Liberian teams are drilling new wells, rehabilitating dormant wells, installing and repairing hand pumps, building communal toilets and hand-washing stations, and providing Health and Hygiene training. Hundreds of thousands of Liberians are benefiting from this work each day, and many lives have been saved.

However, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (0ECD) still ranks Liberia as one of 34 countries least capable of achieving the United Nations' International Development Goals. With your support, we can continue to help Liberia by focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in schools, clinics, orphanages, and rural villages.

We are doing this work through two vital partnerships -- one with Lifewater Liberia and the other with Liberia Service to Servants (STS).

 

The Lifewater Liberia team

The Lifewater Liberia team focuses entirely on drilling new water wells in a nation where they are desperately needed.

 

Liberia Team - Rev. Stephen Varfee.jpg 30 KB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Stephen Varfee, Country Coordinator

Stephen coordinates all the work done by the Lifewater Liberia team and the Lifewater STS team. He assumed this role in April 2023 after serving as Lifewater Liberia's Project Coordinator since 2017. Stephen is also the Senior Pastor of New Harvest Church, a member of the Africa Leadership Peace Ambassadors organization, and a strong advocate for children’s education and young women in leadership. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Public Administration, and diplomas in Pastoral Ministry and Social Work.

Liberia Team - Henry S. Tengbeh.jpg 127 KB

Henry S. Tengbeh, Program Coordinator

Henry began assisting the Project Coordinator in late 2021 and became Program Coordinator in April 2023. He came to Lifewater Liberia after serving in managerial roles with several organizations including, most recently, a major Liberian transportation company where he was Administrative and Human Resources Manager. Henry has a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Liberia in Economics, and diplomas in Computer Science.

Rocky Kollie

Rocky G. Kollie, Senior Driller and Supervisor

Rocky is a hard-working and humble man. It was only after years of working with him that we learned he'd been a member of Liberia's national soccer team! He is passionate about his work in repairing hand pumps because he has seen how badly a community's health can suffer when pumps remain broken and wells are unused.

Liberia Team - Boakia Thomas.jpg 30 KB Boakia Thomas, Senior Driller and Supervisor
Fayah Bombo Kelvin Fayiah Bomboo, Driller and Driver
Liberia Team - Victor Dolo.jpg 71 KB Victor Dolo, Lead Mechanic
 Liberia Team - Rev. Haven Johnson.jpg 23 KB Rev. Haven Johnson, Evangelist with Health and Hygiene Training Team, and Community Mobilizer
 Liberia Team - Sangbeh Dennis.jpg 38 KB Sangbeh Dennis, Head of Security and Compound Maintenance
 Liberia Team - Francis Kafie.jpg 28 KB Francis Kafie, Security and Compound Maintenance
 Peter_Johnson  Peter S. Johnson, Security Guard
Wellington Diggs Wellington Diggs, Security Guard

 

The Lifewater Service to Servants (STS) team

The Lifewater Service to Servants (STS) team assesses community needs to determine whether a new water well is required or if instead, a pump can be repaired to make an existing well function again. New wells are drilled by the Lifewater Liberia team, while pump repairs are completed by the Lifewater STS team, which also provides community Health and Hygiene education. 

Liberia Team - Rev. Stephen Varfee.jpg 30 KB

 Rev. Stephen Varfee, Country Coordinator

Stephen coordinates all the work done by the Lifewater STS team and the Lifewater Liberia team. He assumed this role in April 2023 after serving as Lifewater Liberia's Project Coordinator since 2017. Stephen is also the Senior Pastor of New Harvest Church, a member of the Africa Leadership Peace Ambassadors organization, and a strong advocate for children’s education and young women in leadership. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Public Administration, and diplomas in Pastoral Ministry and Social Work.

Liberia STS Team - Joe Sloan.jpg 616 KB

Joe LeLee Sloan, Project Coordinator

Joe is the Country Director for Service to Servants (STS) in Liberia and the Project Coordinator for Lifewater STS.

A member of the Salvation Army church, Joe has a Bachelor of Science degree from Stella Maris University in Electronics Engineering with a concentration in Information and Communication Technology. He also has a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Liberia Institute of Public Administration.

He has worked as an Information and Communication Technology Analyst and Manager, as a Network Switch Engineer/NOC, as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for several institutions, and as a consultant on many projects in Liberia. Joe joined Lifewater STS in April 2023.

 Liberia Team - Yaya Sidi Sackor - M&E Officer.jpg 22 KB

Yaya Sidi Sackor, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer

Yaya has more than 14 years professional experience in Program Design, Management, Development, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Coordination. Before joining STS, he was involved in assessing the needs of beneficiaries of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Livelihood, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene services. Yaya has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and is a certified Trainer in GBV and in Monitoring and Evaluation, including Program Cycle Management. He has helped many international consultants in designing assessment and evaluation tools.

Liberia STS Team - Frank Greene.jpg 6 MB Frank Green, Assessment and Education Team member
Liberia STS Team - William Vesselee.jpg 8 MB

William Vesselee, Assessment and Education Team member

William joined Lifewater in 2008, was trained as a Health & Hygiene Trainer, obtained his professional driving diploma, and became Community Mobilization Team Leader in 2010. In 2012, he also became the Handpump Assessment Project Leader, responsible for assessing handpumps and implementing simple repairs. William documents factors that contribute to handpumps remaining unrepaired while people revert to hauling unsafe water from distant sources.

Liberia STS Team - Larwuo Kezelee.jpg 2 MB

Larwuo ("Blessing") Kezelee, Assessment and Education Team member

Blessing's responsibilities include conducting pre-project and post-project research to determine the health and social impacts of new wells, rehabilitated wells, and repaired pumps.

Liberia STS Team - Tawah Bumdoo.jpg 9 MB

Tawah Bumdoo, Assessment and Education Team member

Tawah is certified by Lifewater Canada as a Health & Hygiene Trainer and Community Mobilizer. She helps communities participate in well drilling and handpump planting projects to ensure the pumps have long lives. She has also co-led more than 200 workshops in various communities, including many in schools, churches, and mosques.

 Liberia STS Team - Delphine Jallah.jpg 730 KB

 Delphine Jallah, Assessment and Education Team member

Delphine has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Liberia. She is a dedicated and experienced accounting professional with proven success in managing finances for mid-size commercial organizations.

A Christian, she joined Lifewater STS in July 2023.

 

 Liberia STS Team - Sam Saye Waquoi.jpg 2 MB  

Sam Saye Waquoi, Pump Repair Team member

Sam joined Lifewater Liberia in February 2014 as a mechanic. He has a BBA Degree in Management from the Stella Maris Polytechnic, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia, and a Vocational Diploma in General Mechanics from Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata, Liberia. He joined Liberia STS in 2023.

Liberia STS Team - Charles Morris.jpg 2 MB

Charles Morris, Pump Repair Team member

Charles is a graduate of Paynesville Public School. A Christian, he started working with Lifewater Liberia as a drilling intern in 2016 and transferred to Lifewater STS as a pump repairer in April 2023. 

Liberia STS Team - Anthony Bombo.jpg 6 MB

Anthony Bombo, Pump Repair Team member

Anthony joined the Lifewater Liberia team as a security guard and, thanks to his dedication and hard work, became a member of Lifewater STS's Pump Repair Team in April 2023.

He is a graduate of Soul Clinic Public School.

 Liberia STS Team - Matthew Sando.jpg 2 MB  Matthew Sando, Pump Repair Team member
 Liberia STS Team - Oral Goanue.jpg 894 KB

 Oral T. Goanue, Driver

Oral transports staff and equipment to and from project sites as a member of the Assessment and Evaluation (A&E) team.

A Christian, he has driving experience in almost all of Liberia's counties while serving in various roles including with the Liberia National Red Cross Society. 

Oral is a graduate of Len Millar High School and of Liberia's School of Professional Driving Education. He joined Lifewater STS in August 2023.

 

Play the six-minute video of Lifewater in Liberia
(Songs are from a 200-voice African Choir Celebrating Lifewater's 200th well in Liberia!)

 

Important Liberia Website Links 


Every $1 you give provides a child with safe water for a year!


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