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Aquafilter Community
 In May we returned to Gambia for the third time. We evaluated the Aquafilters that had been in continual use, some for a year and some for 6 months. Again we tested the water for faecal coliforms. .It was the end of the dry season the wells were very low and some had dried out .and we found that the water was not contaminated. However as soon as the rain comes in June and the surface water drains into the open wells causing serious sickness and diarrhoea, especially in the children.
The users were happy and said that the health of the children had improved. In general the filters were kept in a safe place and used in the morning and evening when fresh water was collected from the well. We found that after approximately one year the pump washer needed replacing .This is not a problem as 3 spare washers are supplied on the pump handle and instructions are in the manual. On one other filter the hose clip needed tightening.
 Future Plans
After detailed discussions with Moslem Aid we decided that the best way forward was to concentrate on two test sites, one for the Aquafilter Community and one for the Aquafilter Family. This will enable us to monitor the health of a large sample at each site.
We chose an area around a small village called Timbucktu for the Aquafilter Community .The village had been using a filter for 6 months and when we spoke to the man chosen by the village to be responsible for the filter he said he also took the filter on a wheel barrow to neighbouring villages every few days so they could also have clean water. We left three more aquafilter Communities there and 4 more re already on their way. In this way each well in each small village will have its own Aquafilter, giving us a test site of over 4,000 people.
Aquafilter Family
We have identified a different location for the Aquafilter family .In Brikama Jidda the headmaster already had an Aquafilter Community, so approximately 300 children have clean water at school, but not when they return home. We gave 5 Aquafilters to 5 families (each with around 30 members) identified by the headmaster and in June will send out a further 20 so all the families will have a filter, giving us a sample of over 6,000 The Headmaster is very keen to help us and is gong to monitor and record the health of the children is his school.
Aquaboxes
 We helped in the distribution of Aquaboxes in Ebo Town 18 months ago. It is a h high density urban area, built on low ground that is frequently flooded. Aquaboxes were still clearly visible. The users had run out of chlorine tablets but more available (from Aqua30,s ) in the Council Offices. They will be distributed by the local Water Management team before the beginning of he rainy season.
Aquafilter Family units would be of great benefit in this area.
Other Developments
Aquabox has sent over 2,000 Aquaboxes and 5 Aquafilters to small camps in Haiti. .Both the boxes and the filter have been enthusiastically received as these smaller camps have not received aid from the larger organisations.
Two Aquafilter Community filters have been sent to Ghana. Here they are being used to filter surface water from a river and lake. This is our first test site for surface water and is being monitored by the charity Original Volunteers.
We are working in close collaboration with both Aquabox www.aquabox.org.uk
and Muslim Aid www.moslemaid.org.uk .
Thank you to them and the donations from Rotary Clubs and our supporters this project is moving forward successfully.
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