Dear Sir, 

Everyone in our Block extend their thanks to you who have brought us all this help.  At such a time as this to see you come in the big truck and start to work at giving us a new well was a big encouragement.  Thank you.  We are asking that our Lord multiply the work of your hands so you can reach out and help others that are in need as we were.

It is good to go to sleep and not have to be so frightened of the sickness that comes on us every so often that we now know was because of our old way of drawing water.  Even with the virus, we feel better prepared to recognize it and how to keep everyone safe.  Some had masks but now we know everyone needs them and we have the pattern to make them.

Please accept our thanks and appreciation for all that you have done for us.

Kind regards

Agustine Kpelle

Waterside is a town located within the settlement of Virginia in rural Montserrado County. Virginia is a western suburb of Monrovia, located near the Atlantic Ocean on the northern side of the Saint Paul River in Liberia.

It was the birthplace of Angie Brooks, the first African female president of the United Nations General Assembly. Virginia was also the location of the Organisation of African Unity conference hosted by President William R. Tolbert, Jr. who was the group's chair at the time - at Hotel Africa in 1979, just months before he was overthrown by Samuel Doe during the bloody Liberian Civil War.

During the Second Liberian Civil War, rebels used Virginia to launch an onslaught on Monrovia in 2003 after which inhabitants fled to the outskirt of the town thereby establishing the community that is now call Waterside.

This is a very big community that is why it is divided into four blocks, A-D (Quarter1-4). The name Waterside derived from the St. Paul River that runs at the outskirt of the community.

During the Civil war, people came from a far to fetch water for the river provided the only safe source of drinking water for the inhabitants of the entire Waterside Quarters. However, the river became contaminated by human actions up the river. ‘‘People always toilet and wash clothes up the river’’. One resident told Lifewater H-H team. 

Livelihood in the community of Waterside depends on fishing and petty trade. Fishmongers and other sellers within the community eke out a living from their wares each day.

Like the entire Waterside Quarters (blocks), Block A has a very high women and children population of which the house chore of fetching water heavily rely. There is a the lack of a primary school, church or even a primary healthcare facility. ''It is hard work and full of lots of expense to carry our sick to the nearby city for a simple medical treatment'' a local resident explained.

In addition to groundwater, perennial and intermittent rivers help the target people in using sand pit water during dry season for domestic purposes. As a result, most population of the town suffered from water borne and water related diseases which include: (Giardiasis, Typhoid, bacillary dysentery etc). The extent of acute watery diarrhea is more serious in the community during the rainy season.

Those diseases led them to high medical costs, an increased rate of mortality as well as a negative impact on the ability to work due to poor health. ''People in our community lack safe drinking water'' Mr. James Flomo a local resident explained. However, Lifewater installation of a hand pump in the community has automatically curbed the problem. Thereby reducing the long travel and queuing period women and girls spend fetching water from unprotected water sources to a more safe drinking water from total of 3-4 hours to an approximate time frame of 30 minutes.

‘‘We are very happy and thankful to Lifewater’’ Mother Kieimah said. ‘‘We used to fetch water two to three times a day losing the energy needed to perform other household chore''. She further mentioned. Similarly, girls are now following their education properly and they do not drop out and fail in their schools.

Now there is never a critical water scarce period, when women were forced to stay half of the midnight at the existing water sources there is continuous access to clean water source with the assurance of a timely repair in case the pump spoils.

This well was drilled as part of a cooperative NGO initiative to provide safe drinking water to all Liberian's. Thanks to ''The Last Well Inc.'' for their coordination and support!