By Jane Brinton, Co-Founder | Executive Director of The Waterbearers

On August 14, a deadly mudslide killed more than 600 people in the mountain town of Regent on the outskirts of Freetown,  Sierra Leone’s capital. Audrey Kissik had just couriered 200 Sawyer filters for The Waterbearers over to neighboring Liberia, and within 24 hours she contacted us with the idea of sending filters to Sierra Leone. Audrey’s husband is an advisor to the Liberian Police Force who arranged for the filters to be transported by a military and police convoy heading north, a 12-hour drive from Monrovia.

In the meantime, another Waterbearer,  Shannon McElyea introduced us to RoseAnn Rotandaro from the nonprofit TheVillageLink.org and Terri Khonseri from FamiliesWithoutBorders.org. Both organizations are based in California and focus on educational programs in rural communities in Sierra Leone, and they had college students on the ground willing to distribute the filters to those in need. A WhatsApp Group “Freetown Relief Effort” was formed and quickly grew, as more people and organizations wanted to help in the relief efforts. We were able to communicate in real time across three continents sharing information as to the latest updates on where the victims were being sheltered, and what supplies were needed.

Bringing clean water to the people of Freetown, Sierra Leone. 

Thanks to the power and ease of WhatsApp, the group of international relief agencies teamed up to provide aid for the people of Freetown, who have been affected by the mudslide disaster and flooding. Through WhatsApp, the team raised funds and coordinated logistics with people on the ground communicating in real time over 7000 miles from the United States and Ecuador to Sierra Leone.

Another threat on the horizon

While Freetown buried its dead and mourned their losses, another threat was lurking, Cholera. Dead bodies were contaminating the water supplies of a country that had just three years ago lost 4000 to the Ebola outbreak.

More aid through our WhatsApp Group came from SchoolsForSalone.org and Programme For Children who stepped up to provide accommodations and a vehicle to get the buckets and filters distributed. They also supplied mattresses, bags of rice, non-food items and school supplies for the victims from three of the closest camps from the Sugar Loaf Mountain mudslide.

But, the real credit goes to two young men who took on the responsibility of getting clean water to those in need. Joseph Ellie from FamiliesWithoutBorders.org and Ses Jay TheVillageLink.org and Young People in Action For Development identified the camps where displaced families were seeking shelter and aid. It’s estimated that 3000 people lost their homes due to the heavy rains and flooding.

Thanks to this WhatsApp Group “Freetown Relief Effort”, friends have been made and bonds have been tied to continue working together in Sierra Leone. I think I speak for all Waterbearers in saying that we are very proud and humbled to be part of this collaboration.

The WhatsApp Group:

The Village Link – RoseAnn Rotandaro, Colleen Rossignol (US), Evelyn Lewis (SL)

Families Without Borders – Terri Khonsari (US), Joseph Ellie (SL)

The Waterbearers – Jane Brinton (EC), Erin Toppenberg (US), Audrey Kissik (LR)

Young People In Action For Development and The Village Link – Ses Jay (SL)

Schools For Salone – Cindy Nofziger (US)

Programme For Children – Joseph Lamin (SL)

Special Thanks:

Shannon McElyea, Audrey Kissik, Varney Sherif (Assistant Commissioner Liberian Police Force) and Madam Shellac of SLANGO (SL) and the college students in Freetown, led by Joseph Ellie and Ses Jay.