When Hawa Koroma moved to Kenema in Sierra Leone's Eastern Province twelve years ago, she was looking for a fresh start following the civil war, which claimed her husband's life. She could not have imagined how the move to this city 200km from the capital Freetown would change her life.

Koroma, a paraplegic and widowed mother of five, arrived in Kenema with only her wheelchair, having lost most of her possessions owing to the conflict. Life was difficult. Water was scarce in the area, which meant that much productive time was lost to collecting it; also children faced water-related illnesses and lack of sanitation.

"Because it is difficult for me to move with my wheelchair, I used to send my children very far to fetch water. Many days, they returned home very late. I was especially worried about the girls, so sometimes I let my older son Ibrahim push me in my wheelchair to look for them," Koroma said.

Thanks to an African Development Bank project, access to safe and convenient water is no longer among Koroma's concerns. She and her family are among thousands of beneficiaries of the Three Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project which covers Kenema, Bo and Makeni. The African Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development have provided $41 million and $18 million in funding respectively.

The project is being overseen by the Sierra Leone Water company. Launched in 2010, it has provided more than 1,980 households with access to piped water. It has also constructed 156 water kiosks and 183 modernized latrines, providing 46,851 students with access to modern toilets. Over ten years, more than 550,000 people in Bo, Kenema and Makeni have gained access to potable water, extending access from 5% to 75% of the population in the region.

The Bank's Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford said, "This project demonstrates the ability of water to boost socio-economic development and close the gap for women."

Hawa in her wheelchair

Since Koroma's house was connected to piped water, her children have more time to study, especially the girls. The health of children in the community has also improved considerably. "I will be very honest about this. I do not have enough words to express my gratitude to the Sierra Leone Water Company for this project," said Koroma. "We used to get sick frequently from drinking untreated well water. But now, with the clean water, we have not experienced any diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, or scabies, which the children used to have."

Access to clean piped water has also enabled Koroma to focus more on her work. A seamstress, she does embroidery, and makes nightgowns, bedsheets and baby dresses. With the extra work she has been able to take on, she sometimes earns enough to pay for a few months' rent at once.

To Koroma the future seems brighter than it has for a long time. " I want to raise enough money to pay for my oldest daughter's university fees and buy an electric wheelchair to replace the current one," she said.

Hawa with her last two kids and grandchild