Dumangbe, Sierra Leone

Dumangbe is a predominantly Muslim village in the Makpele Chiefdom of the Pujehun District; a Southeastern province of Sierra Leone with a population of roughly 800. The community is separated into two smaller towns, Dumangbe Old Town and Dumangbe New Town, by the Korgorgi stream. The community was heavily affected by the most recent Ebola crisis in 2014, recording 23 out of the total 31 confirmed Ebola deaths for the entire district due in part to the poor infrastructure to access the community. Dumangbe was officially declared Ebola free by the WHO in April 2015. The community is strategically located at the southern point of the Makpele chiefdom, where it is a link to three prominent settlements; Kenema Soro, Macca, and Tokorma. The central economic activities within the village consist of mining and agriculture.

The Need

The challenge we’ll be working with the community to address is the crossing of a stream that divides their town. The community presently does not have a permanent crossing between the two portions of their town. While temporary crossings are constructed annually, they are damaged or washed away during the rainy season, where monthly rainfall can reach 30” and surge through this stream. This has led community members to attempt crossing the stream in an unsafe manner, sometimes leading to drownings.

The Solution

What’s on the other side of the bridge? Across the bridge are key societal activities – emergency medical care, transportation to the district’s major city – Zimmi, and access to economic markets that are currently difficult to reach. Without the crossing, Dumangbe is isolated economically, medically, socially, and educationally. We’re looking forward to working with partner NGOs and the community to design and implement a community-driven solution to the challenge they face.

Progress

In September 2021, the project team coordinated with a group of in-country volunteers to perform a remote assessment. That team travelled to Dumangbe to meet with community members and local government officials, and collected preliminary data which has allowed the DC project team to begin considering potential alternatives for a permanent stream crossing.

Over the last 12 months, the Project Team reviewed and compiled all the remote assessment trip data into an initial Alternatives Analysis, which considers different categories of bridge crossing solutions to meet the needs of the community. Now that travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have been lifted, the team is now actively preparing for our first in-person assessment trip planned to occur in Spring 2023 where we will be able to collect critical measurements and geotechnical data and perform community surveys to ensure we move forward with a solution that aligns their needs and the abilities of our Project Team. Our team has also hosted three fundraisers in support of the project, and are assisting planning for the upcoming EWB-DC Gala which will be held in March 2023.

Get Involved

Want to help? We’re always looking for volunteers familiar with developing international programs, conducting community needs assessments, bridge design, and an array of other expertise. Volunteers with all backgrounds and skill sets are welcome and encouraged to participate! You do not need to be an engineer to join or help either!

The team meetings are every other Tuesday evening and will be posted on the Chapter Calendar. New volunteers are invited to attend the Project meetings or visit the Get Involved page for a broader overview of all projects being conducted by the EWB DC Professional Chapter.