Health/Environment

INTRODUCTION

EnviroOne believes that a healthy community is multidimensional, encompassing the key components of physical and environmental health, healthcare and public health, social and cultural well-being, economic vitality, governance and civic infrastructure, and resilience and sustainability.

As of 2023, the majority of Sierra Leone’s population continues to reside in rural areas. In these communities, all dimensions of health are deeply interwoven. However, physical health—particularly access to clean water and essential healthcare services—emerges as the most urgent and foundational need (Osborne et al., 2025; WHO, 2023; UNDP, 2024). These priorities have guided EnviroOne’s core programming and strategic focus for its health and environment program.

ACTIVITIES: ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER

Since 2017, EnviroOne has dug water wells to provide clean drinking water to over 105,000 individuals in three districts (Tonkolili, Port Loko, Bombali) and the Western Rural Area (Waterloo).

In selecting and siting a water well in a rural community, EnviroOne considers the relative community need, hydrogeologic suitability, and public health protection to ensure safe, sustainable, and impactful water access.

Ideal sites are centrally located, supported by strong community ownership, and offer the potential for ongoing maintenance and education.

The following are samples of the EnviroOne Water Well Program.

Retrofitting Water Wells

Mamunta - EnviroOne Water Well Drilling and Retrofitting Activities

Maloko Water Well Drilling and Opening Activities

Retrofitting Provo-Sponsored Water Well

Retrofitting problem water wells in Sierra Leone

Retrofitting problem water wells in Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom

Masabong Community Water Well, Masabong Sierra Leone

Lungi Community Water Well Sponsored by Bill & Dawn Flitcraft, New Jersey USA

Marunia Community Water Well, Marunia Sierra Leone sponsored by PROVCO Ventures, Pennsylvania USA

Makomp Community Water Well Sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church, Mullica Hill NJ USA

Masoila Community Water Well Sponsored by Doug & Denise Brown, New Jersey USA

Tombo Bana Community Water Well Sponsored by Richard & Nancy Stetson, New Jersey USA

Makeni Rocfola Community Water Well Sponsored by Lisa Borgese, New Jersey USA

Community water wells for Tombo Bana and Tombo Lol villages with celebrations by the communities and the Sierra Leone National Press

EnviroOne brings much-needed water relief to Songo, Sierra Leone

Makeni Rocfola community water wells, sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church, Mullica Hill NJ USA

Impact/Outcomes

Over 30 EnviroOne water wells are providing clean water to over 105,000 individuals in 3 districts (Tonkolili, Port Loko, Bombali) in Sierra Leone. The company has observed multiple impacts/outcomes from the Water Well Program.

1. Health Outcomes: decrease in cases of waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and improved child and maternal health indicators.

2. Social Outcomes: reduced time and burden on women and girls for water collection, improved school attendance and retention, especially among girls, and strengthened community ownership through water user and well maintenance committees

3. Agricultural Outcomes: year-round access to water for medicinal plants and agroforestry, improved soil moisture management and support for regenerative agriculture, and diversified livelihoods through water-fed value chains (e.g., herbal teas, vegetables)

4. Educational Outcomes: greater availability of safe water in schools and learning centers, more time for youth to attend school rather than collect water, and increased knowledge and practice of safe water storage and treatment.

5. Economic Outcomes: lower household spending on water treatment and medical care, improved productivity due to reduced illness and time saved, and new opportunities for small-scale businesses (e.g., water vendors, irrigated crops)

6. Environmental Outcomes: decreased riverbank degradation due to reduced dependence on open water sources, support for ecosystem health by reducing contamination from surface runoff, and enhanced climate resilience through sustainable groundwater management

ACTIVITIES: TRADITIONAL MEDICINE & COMMUNITY HEALTH

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 70–80% of the rural population in Sub-Saharan Africa relies on traditional medicine for primary healthcare. Sierra Leone aligns closely with this trend due to geographic and economic barriers to formal care.

As of 2023, EnviroOne has been working with traditional healers, herbalists, and health workers to select medicinal plants intercropped with palm oil plantations to promote the health of citizens in their communities.

The company has started documenting and validating plant-based remedies, promoting herbal literacy, and training communities on the safe use of medicinal plants to support primary health care in underserved areas.

iMPACT/OUTCOMES

As farmers and healers continue to cultivate indigenous medicinal plants within the palm plantation, EnviroOne has started to observe some early health outcomes, including:

1. Households increasingly use culturally familiar treatment plants (e.g., moringa, neem, ginger, bitter leaf).

2. Reduced reliance on distant or costly health facilities for common ailments.

3. As herbal literacy grows, people seek early care rather than waiting for illnesses to worsen.

4. Community trust in herbal healers is strengthened with safety training, encouraging more proactive treatment.

Who We Are

EnviroOne is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving human development through agriculture, health/environment, and capacity building.

Get Involved

You can donate; become a sponsor, a volunteer, an ambassador, an intern, or a corporate partner; or engage us in your church ministry, or event as a speaker.

Projects

EnviroOne projects are designed to improve the three basic aspects of human development: food (agriculture); good health (clean water); and education.