52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 1 - Dassilame Serere

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Dassilame Serere, Kaolack, Senegal

Community Description
Dassilame Serere is a small village of just over 500 people located in the delta region of Senegal. Its primary source of income is agriculture, but because of the beautiful landscape of the delta filled with mangroves, birds, and plentiful marine life, it has also become somewhat of an eco-tourism destination and now has several small hotels called campements. These along with the rest of the village are completely off the grid and rely solely on well water for drinking, irrigation, and other household needs.

Project Description
Pape Diouf, a native of the village, established one of these campements in 2007 and shortly after used the proceeds from it to start a one-hectare women’s garden on the premises. This garden gives local women a secondary source of income and allows them to increase the overall nutritional level of their households. There is one well in the garden from which everyone pulls water. The plan is to install one rope pump on the well to increase the overall ease and speed of watering this large space.

Project Impact
The members of the women's group will directly benefit from this pump along with many others who occasionally help with the garden. This first pump will also expose other groups to this technology and encourage them to join the project or even look into purchasing a pump on their own.

Comments
For more information on Pape's Eco-Capmepent check out his website: http://papediouf.uniterre.com/

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity or Randall Harward, of Ojai, CA, USA.

If you wish to contribute funds to go the overall program, go to the 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program - Senegal page and click on the general Donate button there.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 10 - Saare Gouna, Community Garden

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Saare Gouna, Senegal

Community Description
Saare Gouna is the third and final village in the clump of villages near Saare SambaThika.

Saare Gouna’s community garden is the best organized garden I have seen yet. There are 29 women who work in the garden and each one has her own space, divided by hundreds of tree branches sown together with prickly bush.

Each woman’s plot is a half a chord, though some of the older women have a bit more space, and they grow the veggies of their choosing.

Almost every woman grows hibiscus, whose leaves are harvested for sauce and flowers for juice, and okra. The combination is like the tomato basil duo we Americans grow in our back yards.

Project Description
Saare Gouna has one-well maintained and clean well located in the middle of their space. Each of the women pull about 20 buckets of water minimum for their gardens which becomes very tiresome, and a pump will speed along the process greatly while also saving energy.

Project Impact
The 29 members of the garden will directly benefit from the pump. Indirectly, all of their families will benefit as well.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Marcie Todd

Comments
This is another great project to add to the string of successes. The benefit to the women and their families will be long lasting.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Cynthia Sperry, of Fayetteville, NC, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 11 - Thiawando

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Thiawando, Kaolack, Senegal

Community Description
Thiawando is a far cry from the remoteness of Keur Andallah, as it is located just 10 k outside of the regional capital, but amazingly it still has many of the same issues. It is a fairly large community of over 800 people, mostly peanut and millet farmers, but has only two wells with potable water. Of these two almost everyone in the village uses just one, because it is closer and the water slightly cleaner.

Here we have one of the classic problems that the Senegalese face: just 10k away in Kaolack there is electricity and running water but as soon as you leave the city center there just isn¹t the infrastructure or money to continue these amenities to surrounding villages.

Far from a sob story though, this village is thriving. It is a multicultural hub, as many villages in this region are, where almost everyone speaks three languages if not more. Also many people have jobs in the capital since it is so close, and as a result the village is obviously somewhat more prosperous than most.

The Mosque is beautiful and there is a large storage building for saving the community’s yearly harvest. Really the only thing holding them back is a lack of access to water.

Project Description
We will be installing a rope pump on the main community well from which most of the 800 residents drink. This should ease congestion around the well as it speeds up the process of pulling water.

In addition to this the village has expressed interest in starting a community garden next to the well. With the market being so close this will be a great small business opportunity and will help to increase overall nutrition in the village.

Project Impact
All 800 residents will benefit from the project through either increased speed pulling water, or increased financial security and nutrition from the garden.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward and C.J. Pedersen

Comments
This is a high-impact project that will extend great benefit to the community at minimal cost.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Susan Smith of Rockville, MD, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 12 - Dantaxoune

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Dantaxoune, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Dantaxoune is a small village outside of Sokone, which is home to the only primary school for 4 villages. There were, as of 2009, 99 female students and 94 male students.

The school is special in its function, as it also acts as an economic center. They raise chickens and buy millet when the price is low to sell when the price is high. This builds a sense in the students and parents alike that going to school will lead to economic success.

In 2008 Association Sine Salome installed a very large steel pump that could work for adults with large muscles, but the primary students had a hard time turning the wheel. They also installed fencing and a water basin for a school garden to increase the school’s economic potential.

In 2009 Peace Corps Volunteer Jessica O’Haren was contacted to help the school with tree pepinaires and at the end of her service she introduced Joey Johnston, the current volunteer, to Thiam and Diouff.

Thiam teaches Arabic, Diouff teaches French, and they both have a passion for the success of the school garden. Teachers in Senegal, as in many places, are not paid adequately and supplies for school are nil.

The money made from the garden, along with the other agricultural economic activities, helps to supplement the costs for materials and payment to the teachers. The garden also provides supplements to the school’s lunch plan, instituted by the World Food Program, which feeds kids that come from the further villages.

When Joey came to help, he quickly realized the lack of water was hindering their economic success and possible yields in the garden. The garden was almost exclusively growing okra and bissap. Okra and bissap are like tomatoes and basil in the United States; everyone grows them.

Last school season they started working on a more varied veggie garden, but had a hard time watering. They are now, pulling water from a well without a pulley located 30 meters away, which is similarly as hard as the massive steel pump for the smaller students. Also, it is preventing the students from wanting to water every day, leaving the plants water starved.

Project Description
This project is to build and install a rope pump for the school in Dantaxoune.

Project Impact
193 students will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward, Marcie Todd and Joey Johnston

Comments
The installation of the water pump will alleviate many of the water issues and make caring for the garden much easier. In turn, it will provide the school food program with more supplemental food as well as money for materials and teacher-pay.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Tristan Harward, of Cambridge, MA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 13 - Dassilame Serere Eco Campament Pump Expansion Project

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Dassilame Serere, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Marcie describes:

Dassilame Serere was the location of our very first pump! It is located in the delta region of Senegal about 25 km north of The Gambia. Since we were last here things have been changing a lot, in a relative sense compared to the rate at which things normally change here.

There is now another large gardening group, extensive improved rice cultivation, and even some new small businesses popping up. We wish we could say this was all due to Peace Corps, but in reality there have been a lot of new NGO projects coming in. The community is very lucky but they work hard to deserve everything they're given, and it shows in the success of these projects.

Project Description
Marcie further describes:

We've come back here to install a second rope pump in Pape Diouf's women's garden. Pretty soon after the installation of the first pump Pape approached us asking if it would be possible to put a pump on the second well since its closer to many of the women's plots.

At first we were hesitant wanting to spread these pumps to as many villages as possible, but then it occurred to us that we may make a larger impact by installing within a smaller area and fully meeting the needs of the people there. This seems to be a better idea then only doing half the job in one garden in order to do half the job somewhere else. As such we are coming back to finish the job here!

On top of just the pump, Pape and Garrison are working on a basin project to help more easily distribute water out to the far corners of the field and fully take advantage of the increased efficiency the pumps bring.

Project Impact
All 54 members of the group will benefit from the increased efficiency of pulling water.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward and Marcie Todd

Comments
On top of the benefit to the women, the pump is also great for the campament and the tourist love it. It shows how innovative and forward thinking the village really is and is fun for the guests. Happy guests equals job security for the workers and a steady cash flow for upkeep which can be expensive after a hard rainy season.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Caroline Fahmy of San Jose, CA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 14 - Dassilame Serere Revisited

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Dassilame Serere, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Yep we're back here in Dassilame Serere once again. We've already described quite a bit about this village, but this is a good opportunity to emphasize one last facet of its personality. Dassilame Serere is persistent! Ever since we installed the first pump here the village has been requesting more and pushing for us to repair 4 existing pumps.

We initially held off wanting to spread the pumps far and wide while in the meantime Garrison helped them with other projects such as tree nurseries and improved gardening techniques. They kept pushing though, and in the end that kind of persistence, enthusiasm and work ethic needs to be rewarded so here we are.

Project Description
This project is to repair 4 existing pumps.

Almost immediately after we installed the first pump, Lamine (our welder in Toubacouta) was approached by a private group wanting to install more pumps in the area. This was a great opportunity for Lamine and thus he simply couldn't refuse even though he really didn't have the skills to be installing pumps on his own yet. The site selected turned out to be a women's group in Dassilame Serere.

Of course we would have offered to help, as the overall goal of the project is to establish pump producers who can have a profitable small business doing installs on their own, but unfortunately Garrison was out of village at a Peace Corps conference, and didn't get back until the day of the install. At this point it was too late to influence much and things just didn't go well. Corners were cut, as Lamine and the funders tried to finish.

4 installs in one day and in the end only 3 pumps ever worked. To make matters worse, those 3 only worked for about a month before various problems cropped, up eventually making them completely unusable. In a way, as much as we would like to blame Lamine or the funders for the spotty work this is our mess to clean up too. We brought the technology to the area so it’s our responsibility to make sure it works.

Project Impact
All 65 members of the group will benefit from increased speed pulling water and thus less congestion at the well.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward and Marcie Todd

Comments
This is a 4 for the price of 1 deal! Since the pumps are already there all of the money goes to supplementary materials meaning that we can fix all 4 pumps for the price of 1!

For the future, there are two brand new wells being built here and if all goes well they could become part of our 52.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Jacqueline Chan, of Crestline, CA, USA in honor of Mrs. Julia Chung-Lun, of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 16 - Daro Keur Ibrahima Signane, Community Garden

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Daro Keur Ibrahima Signane, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
This project is being implemented in the community of Daro Keur Ibrahima Signane, which was described in Project 15.

Pump number 16 completes the 5 pumps in 5 days series. Darou Keur Ibrahima Signane (DKIS for short) is a true community space. Within the hectare are 83 plots owned by 78 families, as almost each family in DKIS gardens. Most of the garden is used to produce for the village while 10 percent of the garden space is marked off for market gardening and selling at DKIS local market.

Each day of the week in roadside towns across Senegal is a local market called a luumo. Luumo is where many people in villages go to buy their produce for the week as well as other essentials such as clothes, furniture, and rope. Luumos carry a lot of the products to the village that can only be found in bigger cities. This saves villagers from having to travel to a city. Also, the luumo gives producers access to a market close to home to sell their products. At the luumo DKIS sells hot peppers and green peppers.

Project Description
The pump being installed here will be the second in this space, the first having been described under Project 15.

Project Impact
78 families will benefit from this project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward, Marcie Todd, and Amy Watts

Comments
This project further proves the benefit of scale achieved from working on double pumps and pumps in a concentrated geographical area.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Jacqueline Chan, of Crestline, CA, USA in honor of Heather Chan, of Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada.

If you now contribute $150 (our new price, which includes labor), your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $150, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 2 - Saare Yero Diao

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Saare Yero Diao, Kolda, Senegal

Community Description
Yero Diao is a small village of 170 people located in the south of Senegal, West of Kolda. It was founded 32 years ago by Mr. Yero Diao himself. Yero in Pulaar (the local language) means example and Diao is a familiar last name.

The village’s primary sources of income are agriculture and silviculture. They grow veggies in the wet season and pick mangoes and cashews in the dry season. Yero Diao is about 15 k from the main road, 22k from Kolda and completely off the grid. They have no electricity, running water or health post, but they do have an awful lot of mangoes. In fact, every time a ripe mango falls from the trees, you hear a thud, “DOGE!” and then everyone in village runs to see who gets to eat the ripe mango.

Project Description
Cawral, the woman’s group in Yero Diao, established a community garden a few years back. This garden gives local women income needed to buy new clothes and send their kids to school and allows them to increase the overall nutritional levels in their households.

There is one rather large and deep well in the garden, from which mostly young women pull water. Providing this village with a rope pump will make pulling water more efficient. It will increase the amount of water they can pull in a given amount of time allowing them to focus more energy tending to their plants and increasing overall yields.

Project Impact
The 37 members of the women's group will directly benefit from this pump along with all of those who use the pump for daily water access- showers, drinking, and cooking. When we asked Demba Balde, the Mayor of the village, how many people he thought would benefit from the installation of the rope pump he said, “I think the whole town will benefit.”

Comments
It is exciting to see this program move on to the second pump. Please tell your friends about it, and get ready to step up and adopt your very own pump as we proceed each week through the year.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Katherine Murray, of San Leandro, CA, USA.

If you wish to contribute funds to go the overall program, go to the 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program - Senegal page and click on the general Donate button there.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 3 - Massarinko

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Massarinko, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Massarinko is a small agricultural village of 416 people located just north of the Gambia and 9 k west of Karang. This unique community lies at a crossroads of both country and ethnicity and is therefore very diverse.

The majority of people are Mandinkan but there are also sizable Serere and Wolof populations and even a few Pulaar families. This means that on any given day one could hear 6 different languages walking through town (that includes Senegal's national language of French, and English because of us PCVs).

Most of the village's income comes from farming peanuts, millet, and rice, which are both subsistence and cash crops. A secondary source of income which the village is looking to expand is herding cattle.

There is currently a small basin next to the well where most of the village's cattle come to drink. The basin is often completely dry as it is hand filled with water pulled from the well. This means that the cattle often don't have enough to drink.

In Senegal the dry season is hard on everyone, but it is especially difficult for livestock. The main road from Sokone to Kaolack is littered with carcasses of cows and sheep that didn't make it through the hard times.

Project Description
The goal of this project is to install a rope pump on the well to ease the difficulty of filling this basin, while also helping the women of the village to more easily pull water for standard household needs such as cooking, bathing, and washing clothes.

Project Impact
While Massarinko has a total of 6 wells, the majority of the households pull water from this one because it is centrally located right next to the Mosque. As a result about 150 people will benefit from this pump, along with around 40 cattle and many more sheep and goats. In reality though if the pump allows the village to support increased cattle production then the impact will be much greater as everyone will benefit from increased income and nutrition.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward & Will Leborgne

Comments
This project brings in a new focus of caring for the animals upon which the villagers depend for their existence.

This week, because of the popularity of this program, we are instituting a “waiting list”. If a project is adopted before you have a chance to contribute your $100, just donate now, and you will get the next one in order.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Leah Gilmore, of San Jose, CA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program. Go to the 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program - Senegal page and click on the general Donate button there.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 4 – Samba Thika

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Samba Thika, Kolda, Senegal

Community Description
Samba Thika is one in a cluster of 3 small villages. There are less than 100 people living here, about 23 k North of Kolda. The terrain is hilly and serene. Though it lacks vegetation, there is something magical about the village itself. It is somewhat of an oasis in a vast expanse of tall brush, and when you step into the village perimeter you feel at least 5 degrees cooler from the sheer amount of trees the village has planted.

As is the case with most Pulaar villages in Senegal, their primary sources of income are agriculture and raising cows. They grow veggies in the wet season, pick mangoes in the dry season, and raise cows for yogurt and milk all year around.

Half of Samba Thika is one family. The family compound has 46 members most of whom are children. The new Mayor of the village, Samba Balde, is highly motivated and is helping the women of Samba Thika start a community garden, and searching for funds to build a health post in town.

Project Description
The plan for the pump in Samba Thika is slightly different from that of the pumps previously built. First off, the well is square and the walls are narrow, which may prove to be a small issue for the mason. Also, it is interesting in its placement. We have decided to place this pump at an individual’s house and not in a group space. This may seem a bit odd, but this one house makes up more than half of the members of the village, and of the 2 wells in village, this one is the cleanest.

Project Impact
All 98 people in town will benefit from the installation, as they all use the compound’s well for drinking water.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Marcie Todd

Comments
This project once again demonstrates the insight and flexibility that the team must exhibit in order to keep this program on schedule, within budget, and successful.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Mara Hunter Redden, of Ojai, CA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 5 - Karang

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Karang, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
In 2010, a group of about 20 people, mostly women, formed a gardening group in a small space just outside of Karang right on the Gambian border. The husband of one of the women generously agreed to let them use his land free of charge.

The group took this initial gift and ran with it, creating a beautiful and productive garden full of hot peppers, cabbage, onions, eggplant, bananas, and citrus trees just to name a few. Currently their field is split into 20 individual plots centered around two fairly shallow wells.

Due to the high volume of people around these two wells watering can be both tedious and time consuming.

Project Description
The installation of this pump means that one person will be able to pull water at a faster rate for the entire group. The well has a water basin attached which can hold approximately 5000 L of water, which when full facilitates easy and fast watering for everyone.

Project Impact
The 20 women with individual plots will directly benefit along with their entire families.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward, Byron Yee, Will Leborgne , and Cassie Blass

Comments
Insa Senghor, one of the leaders of the group explained their motivation:

“Last year these women wanted to start a garden. None of them had any work, but you can make a lot of money selling vegetables. This pump is good because it makes their work easier and we can water faster. If this pump works well, we already have plans to install it in other fields.”

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Cynthia Connolly, of Carpinteria, CA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 6 - Saare Asset

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Saare Asset, Kolda, Senegal

Community Description
Asset means Saturday in Pulaar. We asked if the village was created on a Saturday, but only got laughs. Saare Asset is the second pump site in the cluster of small villages surrounding Saare Samba Thika. Saare Asset is slightly larger than the others with a total of 152 community members.

The 68 women of this village work on a 2 hectare community garden where they grow immaculate okra, hibiscus, and hot peppers. They spend the early morning hours watering their garden, come home to cook lunch and then start the watering process all over again.

Saare Asset and Saare Samba Thika are within walking distance from each other and in many ways a part of the same big family. The two villages intermarry, adopt each other’s farming and cow raising techniques and sometimes even have community meetings together. Though they seem similar in many ways the culture of Saare Asset is slightly different.

Saare Asset has a good number of boys who go into Kolda to study during the year, come back to work for summer break and to be with their families for Ramadan. This, among other things, seems to make community motivation slightly stronger.

Project Description
Saare Asset is genius when it comes to using their resources. They have two pulley systems set up that have a bucket attached to each end of the rope. When they are emptying one bucket, simultaneously the second bucket is filling; this cuts the onerous task of pulling water in half. Saare Asset is on the horizon of expanding their garden. They have almost saved enough money to expand their fence an extra hectare and with that in mind the hand pump will help save a lot of time.

Project Impact
The 68 members of the community garden and their families will benefit from the pump.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Marcie Todd

Comments
The replication of the process in neighboring villages is valuable for the proliferation of the technology and will lead to sustainability.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Harrison Walls, of Santa Cruz, CA, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 7 - Keur Andallah

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Keur Andallah Willane, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Keur Andallah is definitely the most remote village I have worked in thus far into our project. This point was driven home full force as I rode my bike, before sunrise, the 24 kilometers from the main road to Saloum Diane and then another 3 kilometers on sand into the bush to get to Keur Andallah.

The remoteness of the village has its benefits though as it is situated right next to a national forest and has a multitude of birds, monkeys, jackals, and other wildlife. This brings in tourism from Toubacouta and also allows the villagers to supplement their nutrition through occasional hunting.

The village itself is beautiful and, as a result of the sheer number of Mango trees, is considerably cooler than the surrounding fields. The main crop here is peanuts along with some millet and corn, but the really unique thing about Keur Andallah is that right outside the village is an amazing riverbed area with several pools of water that last year round, even through the dry season. This allows for intensive gardening activities, which this motivated village takes full advantage of.

In the women’s garden there are no cement wells, because all the women have to do is dig down about 1 meter before they hit water. Everyone just digs little wells close to their plots rather than using a single central well. They grow vegetables in the dry season and when the riverbed gets flooded they switch to rice.

Project Description
While pulling water is not a problem out in the gardens, it is an issue in the village where the three community wells are at least 10 meters deep.

We’ve decided to put a pump on the most central and cleanest well, the one from which most people actually drink. There are often upwards of 15 women standing next to the well waiting to use the one pulley and bucket.

Project Impact
The 200 people who use this well daily as a drinking source will directly benefit along with anyone staying in the Health hut situated just 10 meters away.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward and Emily Tran

Comments
This pump will help to speed up the process and lower the risk of contaminants falling into this primary drinking source.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Walter Wilhelm, of Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 8 - Hann Maristes Youth Prison, Dakar

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Hann Maristes Minor Prison, Dakar, Senegal

Community Description
Northeast of Downtown Dakar in district Hann Maristes is a youth prison. The residents are men approximately aged 13-24. At any given time there are anywhere from 50 to 70 residents occupying the prison for crimes ranging from theft and smoking marijuana to murder. This week there are 56. Their prison sentences, pending the crime, vary from 1 week to 3 years, but typically no longer.

Saliou Faye, the Hann Maristes social worker, says they often have a problem with kids who complete their sentence, but return the next week. I told him the United States and Senegal are more similar than we know.

Many of the kids in prison come from broken homes, have one or more dead parents, or for some reason or another ended up trying to fend for themselves on the streets. The prison provides basic human necessities and even though obtaining a community, stability, and food, in this case, means doing something illegal and giving up freedom, many are willing to do so, be it consciously or unconsciously.

During the day at Hann Maristes Minor Prison, there are literacy classes twice a week, as well as Arabic and Quran classes, chores, and for a select group, gardening.

Cisse, one of the garden guards, explained that literacy classes do not do much good for those who stay less than 2 or 3 months, and what the prisoners really need are skills. This is why Cisse works in the garden. He says, “I am giving back to my community by teaching these kids something they can use when they leave.”

There are usually 6 young men, two security guards, a Tostan field employee, and a Peace Corps Volunteer, David Vaughan, who maintain the garden. The 6 young men are longer term residents of Hann Maristes whose offenses, from what I gather, as a few did not want to talk about it, are mostly minor theft to fighting. They are very excited about the garden, work really hard, and understandably spend as much time as possible tending to it.

Project Description
There is a garden attached to the prison designed to provide supplemental foods for the kitchen, teach a group of long term prison residents a skill and most importantly, give them something to do. The garden is still a new endeavor, but despite its immaturity and lack of reasonably accessible water (until recently, when a well was dug), they have onions, moringa oleifera, eggplant, and baby mango trees starting to grow.

Tostan financed the well and a water storage basin, which makes this location perfectly set up for a pump. As a group of Tostan, Peace Corps, Guards, and the regular young men that tend to the garden, we will install the pump and do an in-depth training on exactly how each part works. This will help ensure the longevity of the pump as well as the health of the veggies they produce.

Project Impact
About 60 individuals, depending on the week, will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Marcie Todd and David Vaughan, Marie Nazon (a Fulbright Scholar working for Tostan)

Comments
Marcie further explains:

This one I think is one of the more important pumps we've done, which is shocking because it is in the capitol city of Dakar. It is really just incredible how excited the guys were to put the pump together and really learn how it works. They asked so many questions, we hung out, drank coffee, and talked a lot about where they see themselves going in the future.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Stephanie Williamson, of Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 9 – Thies, Peace Corps Training Center

This project is part of our 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks Program, being implemented by Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the program and follow its progress, CLICK HERE.

Location
Thies, Senegal

Community Description
As we've said before, this project isn't just about installing 52 pumps. That's only the beginning. The real benefits will come from the knowledge we gain, the technicians we train, and the infrastructure for pump production that we establish as a result of this initial run.

In keeping with that vision this week's community is a little different from our usual demographic. Welcome to the Peace Corps Training Center located in the regional capital of Thies. This beautiful complex of old colonial buildings and gardens was our first home here in Senegal when we arrived as wide-eyed trainees. Every volunteer spends their first 9 weeks here and in surrounding villages learning local languages, receiving technical training, and learning the cultural skills they will need to be effective volunteers in the field.

This is also the site of In Service Training where volunteers further specialize their technical skills and learn about appropriate technologies, such as rope pumps. This center isn't just for volunteers though; it serves as a resource for the Senegalese people throughout the year through Master Farmer trainings, and Counterpart Workshops where volunteers and Senegalese partners from each village learn how to best collaborate during their two years of service.

Finally this center also holds international conferences where volunteers from other Peace Corps countries come to share best practices and collaborate on large international projects such as the new initiative to stomp out Malaria in Africa. It is truly an asset to Senegal and Peace Corps West Africa as a whole.

Project Description
In order to better support the training of Senegalese counterparts and PCVs in rope pump technology we will install a demonstration pump at the Training Center.

This unit will be mounted on an oil barrel rather than a well so that the entire rig will be portable and able to be taken to different sites to demonstrate the technology and teach welders how to construct the pump.

There is only so much that can be learned from looking at diagrams. With a functioning demo model it will be possible to establish new producers in more remote areas away from the Kolda and Kaolack regions where we currently work.

Project Impact
New trainees, current Senegal volunteers at trainings, volunteers from other Peace Corps countries at conferences, and local farmers and welders will all benefit from this pump. All told, between 100-200 people a year will directly benefit.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Garrison Harward

Comments
This training pump will facilitate the proliferation of this great technology, and will have a profound impact.

Dollar Amount of Project
$100.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Christina Fernandez, of San Francisco, California, USA.

If you now contribute $100, your name will be placed on the waiting list to adopt the next project in order.

If you wish to contribute less than $100, the money will be applied toward the overall program.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion of 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 15 - Daro Keur Ibrahima Signane

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

Marcie and Garrison report:

This pump has been a long time in the making. We initially did the village meetings before the rainy season, prepped the well cap during the rainy season, and finished the install after, and now finally we're writing everything up. There really are a lot of steps that go into installing a pump.

This pump was a part of our 5 pump tour so luckily both of us got to be here for the install. Amy Watts, the volunteer in Daro, helped Garrison do the prep work on the well cap and Marcie came out for the Install. As is the norm in Senegal though, things didn't go exactly according to plan.

The day that we decided to cast the well cap turned out to be the same day as the last rain of the rainy season. It was quite a torrent. At first we thought maybe we could just ride it out under a tree, but the rain just kept getting heavier and heavier. We decided to make a run for it and just in time.

As soon as we got back to Amy's hut the lighting started striking much too close for comfort. Half an hour of hunkering down though and the storm had passed and we were ready to finish the cap.

When Marcie arrived we had our second big hang up. The village wasn't able to find the right PVC pipe so we had to spend all morning searching in Toubacouta and in the end splicing together several pipes to get the full length. We didn't even start the install until after lunch and needless to say it was hot. Morning really is a much more preferable time to work here.

In the end though we went through the routine, hooked everything up and exchanged high fives and hugs when the water started flowing. The problems were minor compared with the benefits. The village was thrilled and is talking about the possibility of expanding their garden and investing in a basin system. We'll keep you updated as things progress.

Pump Output: 37 Liters/ Min

Total Number of People Benefiting: 75

Funder: Jacqueline Chan in honor of Steve Cockwell

Conclusion of Community Aqueduct – Dominican Republic

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Andrew Gibbons. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

The project called for a new community aqueduct to be built to bring potable water from a small spring 1 kilometer away to houses of the village of Los Cacaos.

The pipe line was dug and the suspended river crossings were completed. The intake tank was built, followed by a reserve tank. A small pump was installed, pipes were run to the homes, and faucets were installed.

This was a tremendous community effort, incorporating the entire village, the water committee, and various funding sources. As a result, 242 people now have access to safe water.

A letter from the water committee expressed gratitude for the money that went to construct the aqueduct. We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing funding for this project.

Conclusion of Packalinding Kafo Community Garden Project – The Gambia

This project was completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Shayla Summerhill. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to create a community garden in a village in The Gambia. Water Charity participated in the water-related aspects of the garden, including the construction of the garden well.

Shayla reports:

The objective of this project was to alleviate poverty and foster food security in the community. The community members were very positive and motivated to get the job completed efficiently and correctly.

45 people directly benefited from this project. The garden will help to generate income and give people variety in their diet.

We extend our thanks to Shayla for completing this important project.

Conclusion of Community Garden for People Living With HIV – Botswana

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Alexandria Price. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to provide for the irrigation of the garden, a tank for the collection of rainwater, piping, and fixtures, as part of a project for the implementation of a vegetable garden for People Living with HIV.

Alexandria reports:

After receiving the funding, we immediately started implementing our priority goals of erecting the fence and purchasing necessary tools to cultivate the garden. I was impressed by the group's enthusiasm and dedication to the project and the possibilities seemed endless.

A series of problems arose during which it appeared that we would be unable to meet our objective of having a water source at the garden. There was a severe water shortage in the village of Rakops due to below average rainfall and a malfunction at the local boreholes. Due to miscommunications, the Department of Water Affairs did not install our water tap.

We tried to carry and wheelbarrow water to the site and this led to a small amount of vegetables actually growing. We found it to be impossible to continue this task, as some villagers did not have access to water at their personal homes due to a breakdown of the local water system.

We decided to postpone the project until water would be available, but this did not happen until after planting season had ended.

Finally, the day I left my village the Department of Water Affairs FINALLY installed a private tap for the garden!!!! This will greatly add to the productivity and sustainability of the garden.

The new Peace Corps Volunteer and I are still in contact about the project and how to move it forward with the new water supply and storage tank in place.

We again thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for the Water Charity participation in this project.

Conclusion of Community Health Hut Construction Project – Senegal

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Olivia Kenna. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct a new health hut to serve the villages of Foulamory Demba, Foulamory Yero, Saere Djiba and Saere Sawaly, in the Kolda region of Southern Senegal. Water Charity participated in the construction by providing funding for the water and sanitation parts of the project.

Olivia reports:

The primary goal of the project was to create a community health structure for the four rural villages where I worked, so that people would be able to seek timely treatment for their injuries and illnesses, and so that women would have a safe place to give birth assisted by a trained midwife.

The community contribution was to make the clay bricks to form the walls of the structure, as well as to carry water to the worksite and assist the masons with their work.

The structure was completed, and services were commenced. Olivia describes how the project was received:

The health hut is currently functioning extremely well, and the two mid-wives chosen by the community are about to start a six month training in the nearest city of Velingara.

The community will have access to immediate diagnosis and treatment of their health issues, and will be referred to the larger health clinic in the area for treatment of more complex health problems.

The community of Foulamory is very grateful, especially the women who now do not have to travel the 5 km to the nearest larger health clinic to find medicines for their children.

Thank you very much for your contribution to the project!

In addition to this project to build the health hut, Olivia also completed the Foulamory Health Hut Well Project - Senegal under our Appropriate Projects initiative during her service. She is looking to do another project before completing her service in Senegal

We are grateful to Olivia for the great work she is doing.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funds for this project.

Conclusion of Community Latrine Project – Panama

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Kathleen Fraser. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

Kathleen reports:

All 20 latrines were finished on time and it was a really positive learning experience for everyone.

She went on to thank, on behalf of the latrine committee president and the entire community, all of those who contributed toward making this project a great success.

The pictures demonstrate the great support and enthusiasm of the community for the project.

Through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas we will be able to continue to fund great project such as these in Panama.

Conclusion of Community Latrine Project – Togo

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer A. Landis. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to develop a set of ecological community latrines (sometimes called eco-san latrines) to serve the population and visitors in a location where no public latrines existed.

PCV Landis reports:

The community feels that they have reached the goals and objectives as the latrines were completed roughly on schedule. They have already begun operating the latrines for public use and all the responsibilities in regards maintaining the latrines have been assigned to designated persons.

This goes to demonstrate that they have the will and the capacity not only to change their lives but the lives of their children as well since latrines could last generations if preserved in good working order.

With the project's completion, the 150 villagers now have an adequate place to defecate and urinate. They have also been trained by the local PCV and health workers on how to maintain this specific type of latrine.

The community members have been shown how the human waste can be stored and applied safely in a garden, to act as fertilizer without illness befalling those who eat the garden's produce.

The quarter development council has gained experience on how to manage a development project, and what obstacles tend to appear when such an activity begins, and how to avoid them.

Trust has been increased among the members of the community. The project has given community members the motivation to embark on other project ideas to develop the quarter. With one success it is possible they can defeat many decades of the cynicism that hangs around development work like a cloud.

The quarter community members have taken on the responsibility for the maintenance of the latrines and all the costs associated with them. These costs will come out of revenue gained from non-community members who use the latrines and pay a user fee. If these funds are insufficient, the community itself will provide the funds.

They will maintain the latrines by emptying the fecal matter every 6 months and the containers of urine as they fill up.

They will use the human waste for fertilizer in a nearby garden so that other villagers can see that such a fertilizer is safe and effective to use.

The development council now has both the experience in project management and design to use this project as a springboard for other project ideas.

We wish to thank Peace Corps Volunteer A. Landis for completing this project, and again extend our gratitude to Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding.

Conclusion of Community Well Repair Project – Mali

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Emily Hurley. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to do 35 top-well repairs in the central village and surrounding hamlets.

Emily reports:

We have completed 35 top-well repairs throughout 4 villages in the commune of Dombila. Two trained masons teamed with local volunteers to reinforce well structure and equip wells with metal covers. In addition, each beneficiary site received training in essential behaviors around the well areas and water treatment.

The project went smoothly, and our project objectives held throughout. We assessed the project with an evaluation event where PCVs teamed with Water and Sanitation Committee Members to assess well structure and sanitation.

The goals of construction and training were reached, and all but 4 of the sites reached the behavioral standards for well treatment and cleanliness spelled out by the committee. The committee then returned to these sites for additional training with beneficiaries.

The project was successful in training of over 700 beneficiaries on well sanitation, improved standing water, and water quality.

The project resulted in the committee improving in its management techniques and decision-making capabilities. In addition, we strengthened relationship with groups within and outside of the community working on similar goals.

The participants reported a noticed improvement in water quality and a decrease in water-borne diseases among beneficiaries.

In addition, the project greatly built the capacity of the masons. Last year, these two masons were but apprentices, but the quality of the top-well repairs only improved during the project. Now, these two men demonstrate high ability in technique of top well repaired and are groomed for similar work should it arise in the future.

To provide for sustainability into the future, each well site now has a packet of information on how to maintain their well, and many have established savings for upkeep costs. Sites are also required to pay a membership fee to the committee every year as reparation insurance. Each committee member is in charge of 3 to 5 wells and will report any problems, behaviorally or structurally, at monthly committee meetings. Members will also remind well owners to treat the water with chlorine at the start of every month.

We are grateful to Emily for completing the project and to Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding.

Conclusion of Coxjac School Latrine Project – Guatemala

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Casey Kittredge. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct three latrines for a school system in rural Guatemala.

Casey reports:

The Community of Cojxac came together to construct 3 latrines, using old 500 ml bottles, for the elementary, middle, and weekend middle school students. Each family that had at least one student in the elementary or middle school was asked to donate 5 stuffed (with inorganic trash) 500 ml bottles, 5 Quetzales and 1 day of work.

The 500 ml bottles were used instead of cement blocks for the walls of the latrine. The 5 Quetzales was used to pay for the Mason. The day of work included tasks such as stuffing bottles with trash, collecting and washing trash to be stuffed in the bottles, digging and constructing the wooden frame.

The construction of the latrines took a total of 14 days.

Casey expressed the gratitude of the community and the students:

The mayor of the town came to the inauguration where he told me that:

"The community of Cojxac and its students greatly appreciate the time and effort you and Water Charity have put forth in the construction of these latrines. If it weren't for you, the school would be closed due to the health violations related to the previous latrines. Thank you"

We are grateful to Casey for completing this important project, which demonstrates a new technology that is extremely beneficial to the environment.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Conclusion of Eco Education Project – Cape Verde

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Leah Tai. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to assist with an overall environmental education plan, with particular focus on the Health, Hygiene and the Environment program.

Leah reports:

During this Environmental Education project the Câmara Municipal collaborated with the Delegation of Education, the private waste collection enterprise, SaLimpa, and school leaders to organize an Environmental Education curriculum for students and teachers. This plan was created in late 2009 and implemented throughout 2010, including speeches, ecocontests, environmental talks in the classroom, environmental games and crafts sessions, field trips and trainings for teachers.

The project goals included passing new knowledge to students related to environmental concerns and to teachers about how to incorporate environmental education in the classroom. The objective of the training sessions with teachers was to capacitate them with new skills to use in the classroom to approach environmental issues. The overall project, which was created and executed with various groups of professors and other stakeholders, would also create linkages between professors from different schools and collaborating institutions as well as improve the communities positive environmental habits and increase awareness about environmental issues.

The trainings were very positive, teachers learned a lot and reported that they used their new knowledge in the classroom during the final months of school. 535 participants acquired new knowledge or skills.

Teachers acquired knowledge/skills about climate change, biodiversity, and reutilization of trash for educational school materials. Students learned about reusing and recycling “trash”, the importance of separating different types of garbage, waste disposal, plants, and the value of green space.

Community members and teachers will continue to apply their new skills in the classrooms during the next school years.

Conclusion of El Brison Water System Project – Dominican Republic

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Duncan Peabody. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

This project to build a ferro-cement tank for storage was the second to be implemented under Water Charity’s Ferro-Cement Tanks for the Dominican Republic and Haiti Program.

Duncan reports:

Work was recently completed on the 15,000 liter ferro-cement tank in the rural community of El Brison in the Dominican Republic. The tank will serve as the main storage tank for a water system that is being constructed to serve 45 homes in the village.

The construction was also the second of three ferro-cement tank trainings in which three Haitian masons are being trained in the design and construction of this technology. The three Haitian workers will then go to Haiti where they will build more tanks and capacitate more masons in the country.

As this is the second tank in the training process the Haitian workers were put in charge of the actual construction with the Peace Corps volunteer and a master of construction overseeing their work.

Work brigades, each with eight men from the community of El Brison, worked each day to support the masons in their work. They helped with mixing the mortar, transporting materials, etc. Because El Brison is a very remote village with very little access, all of the materials had to be transported to the work site with mules.

Duncan reports on the process:

The ferro-cement tank construction is a five day process. On the first day the plumbing is placed and the floor is poured. This is the only day in which concrete (the cement mix contains gravel) was used on the tank. The floor is about 10cm thick and has 3/8” rebar inside it.

On the second day a cage is constructed of a mesh of soldered ¼” rebar covered on either side by chicken wire. The cage is constructed in a long 10 meter piece and then placed on the floor in the shape that the tank will take. The cage is wrapped tightly on the outside by tarps. Then a cement and sand mortar is applied to the space between the two layers of chicken wire. This first layer of mortar is about 3 cm thick.

On the third day a second and third layer is applied to the inside and the outside of the first layer to cover the chicken wire which is still exposed. By this time the walls are almost at their full thickness of about 6 cm and are very sturdy.

A plaster coat is applied to the inside of the tank on the walls and the floor on the fourth day. The plaster coat contains a cement additive called Sika which makes it impermeable to water. This coat is extremely important for the tank to function correctly.

The roof is constructed on the final day of the tank construction. A support structure is built using wood beams and plywood. As soon as the structure is in place the tank can begin to be filled so that the floor and walls cure correctly. The tank will never be left without water in it after this point, except for a yearly cleaning. The roof is poured on top of this structure and left to dry for about a week. After a week the tank is entered through a door on top and the wood structure is deconstructed and removed from inside the tank.

Duncan comments on the technology:

The ferro-cement tank has several advantages over a cement block tank of equal size. Because the walls are only about 6cm thick the tank uses significantly less materials. This cuts costs by nearly one half and makes transporting the materials to difficult locations much easier.

Despite using less materials, the tank is structurally superior to a block tank because it is round. Block tanks generally leak from their corners. Furthermore the mesh cage that holds the cement makes the walls flexible so that they are much less susceptible to breaking in the case of seismic activity. For all of these reasons we are trying to spread this technology to Haiti where water is such a dire need at this time.

We again wish to thank Santevia Water Systems and Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Conclusion of El Jícaro Concrete Floors in Homes Project – Guatemala

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren Truxillo. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct concrete floors in up to 64 homes.

Lauren reports on the project, which was concluded earlier this year:

The first family in El Jícaro constructed their floor on March 18, 2011 and the final floor was finished on April 30, 2011. There are now 53 nice, smooth cement floors where before there was dirt, dust, and mud (52 floors in homes plus one floor in the community church kitchen).

Each family was responsible for carrying their materials from the main road to their homes, often in feed sacks on their backs, supported with a head strap. Additionally the families hired their own masons (often neighbors and project beneficiaries themselves) to build the floors.

Project funds were used exclusively to purchase cement, gravel, sand, and paint for the floors. The project was inaugurated May 24, 2011 with a thanksgiving mass in the community church where the community expressed their gratitude for the project.

In the workshops the health promoters stressed to project beneficiaries that a floor alone will not do much to improve family health if the families do not eat well, bathe regularly, drink safe water, or wash their hands often. The floors are built, and that is definitely a change. But I also hope that the participants, by putting everything they have learned in practice, will have healthier, more productive lives that enable them to leave the cycle of poverty.

I hope the health promoters will continue to promote health. But at the very least, the living conditions have improved for 52 families who will live with a little more dignity than before.

At this time, I would like to extend my thanks to Water Charity for supporting the El Jícaro Floors Project.

Conclusion of Epako Rainwater Harvesting Project – Namibia

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Amanda Miller. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to build a rain water harvesting system for the Early Intervention Programme (EIP) Community Garden.

Amanda reports:

EIP Founder Ben Motlata and I worked together to get quotes for the materials and secure the materials from local businesses. The people at Bargain Builders in Gobabis were especially helpful and even gave us a discount when I told them the scope of the project.

Ben was very resourceful and helped me to find the best materials for the right price. The garden project is something very close to his heart.

The community was very interested in the work we were doing. Children and people passing by would ask Ben why he had such large containers in his yard and what he planned to do with them.

One youth, Benny, told another kid on the street that they were going to gather water and save money. Benny was an active participant in the garden project. Although Benny was struggling with food and a safe place to sleep, I would see him in the mornings at the garden watering and weeding. Alfonse was another very active and appreciative teenager. He worked hard at the garden and helped Ben and I construct a large compost pile.

When I completed my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer, another PCV helped Ben with the finishing touches of installing the rain gutters. Ben used the rain water collection system to water his garden for nearly five months, helping him get through the dry season.

Amanda provides follow-up information:

About ten months after the rain water collection tanks were erected and the rain gutters installed, Ben was robbed, and he was forced to move his garden into town for the safety of his family and the youth living on the streets that he works with.

Ben moved the rain water collection system to a new plot of land where he continues to farm his crops. The system has helped Ben to cut down on costs of growing food for himself, his family, and the youth (living on the streets) he works with. He struggles to use the water sparingly during the dry season due to all of the demands for water, but the project remains a model that others can replicate.

We are grateful to Amanda for completing this project, and wish her the best in her career.

Conclusion of Family Latrines Project – Benin

This project has been successfully completed, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Elliot Grochal. To see the history of the project CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct 50 family latrines in Bagou. According to Elliot, all of the latrines were completed in accordance with the specifications.

By way of background, Elliot reports:

Before this project there were a total of 18 latrines for a population of 3,500. Needless to say the village could use many more, but I am confident that this project has set them in the right direction.

Elliot continues:

Two months after starting, we had finished all 50 latrines. All holes were dug at least 5 meters, and now currently nearly all have walls and roofs covering the latrine.

The biggest hump was halfway through when the cement ran out everywhere for 300 km. Once it returned, the price was too high for our budget, so I had to anxiously wait while families grew restless to finish their latrines. Eventually I bargained a workable price from a nearby town, and convinced the mayor to let me borrow his tractor to transport the remaining cement to Bagou. The rest was a piece of cake (wink).

Regarding the impact on the community, Elliot reports:

After having spent two years in this village, I am positive that latrines are the most needed improvement to the population’s well being. It will most likely be difficult to imagine how it is possible for so many people to be living without things as basic as a latrine. All I can say is there is a lot of strength, and stubbornness that allows them to survive.

But after speaking with so many women who spend at least one hour a day walking to and from the outskirts of the village to ‘fertilize the crops’ (most said the walk was 30min and none had bikes to speed up the trip like the men), it was clear that the latrines will not only help with disease and sickness but also serve as a time saving product.

We are grateful to Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this successful project.

Conclusion of Acul des Pins Ferro-Cement Tank Project – Haiti

This project has been completed under the direction of Rafael Cruz, President of La Alianza Viva Caribe. This organization has a long history of working in collaboration with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

The project resulted in the construction of a ferro-cement tank and a rainwater catchment system. In addition, an effective team was trained to be able to continue to construct tanks in Haiti.

Rafael reports:

This project is the start of a great dream to bring clean water to Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. It involves the construction of a ferro-cement tank in Haiti with the generous support of Water Charity.

The size of the tank is 12,000 liters, and it has been constructed in the community of Grandsaban, in the municipality of Acul des Pins.

The community of Grandsaban has a growth rate of 10 to 12 children per family. 15% of the children die before the age of five. 80% cannot read or write. Only 10% have finished primary education, 5% secondary education, and less than 3% university education. There is only one medical doctor for 32,000 inhabitants. 99% of the families do not have potable water.

The community has a population of about 5,000 people. The lack of water is dramatic, water being carried by children who walk long distances to recover a day’s supply for the family, often from contaminated sources.

Under the Ferro-Cement Tanks for the Dominican Republic and Haiti Program the Peace Corps trained three counterpart Haitians in the Dominican Republic in the ferro-cement tank technology. These consisted of a Haitian Ambiorix, a Dominican technician, Félix Mangete , and an engineer, Juan Peralta. After training, they traveled to Haiti to build the first tank in the municipality of Acul des Pains.

The general coordinator of the project in Haiti was Jhonny Genord Clervil, who coordinated with the leader of the community and the Mayor, Dejan Pierre. These leaders formed a committee of 10 persons who were responsible for the execution of the project. The community provided 20 volunteers who offered their services each day and received food for their support.

I traveled three times to Haiti, organizing the work for carrying out the project, and collaborating with Associate Peace Corps Director for the Dominican Republic Tim McFarren.

Water Charity project funds were used to buy materials, including welding materials, metal screen, cement, sand, gravel, wire, aluminum covers, laminated plywood, canvas, paint and fittings.

The actual construction of the tank took five days to complete, and now serves to effectively provide water for the community.

We extend our thanks to Rafael for completing this groundbreaking and monumental project, to Tim McFarren and the Peace Corps Volunteers of the Dominican Republic, and the entire crew that worked diligently to make it possible.

We again thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing matching funds this project.

Conclusion of Future Garden School Water Project – Thailand

This project has been completed under the direction of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Mark Cox. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to bring a water supply to the Future Garden School.

Mark reports:

Future Garden School has finished their water project!

It took approximately four days to complete. The Thai village headman assisted by allowing the school to connect to his water source, as well as finding laborers to do the work.

The water connection is about 200 meters away from the school and about 50 meters uphill, which eliminates the need for a pump through the use of gravity.

Thank you again for your kindness in providing the funds.

The school now has a safe clean water supply for drinking, cooking, cleaning, sanitation, and gardening. We are grateful to Mark for overseeing the project, and again extend our thanks to Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding.

Conclusion of Go Cong Dong Water Project – Vietnam

This project has been completed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Vietnam. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to implement a rainwater collection project to serve about 150 people who lacked an effective way to obtain water for their needs.

The partnership was successful in designing and implementing a rainwater collection project, which resulted in service to 23 homeowners and their families in the district.

The families are involved in a microfinance project and had the option either to build large, concrete rainwater catchment containers or to buy large rainwater jars, depending on the location of each household.

Habitat’s Dana McNairn reports on the project by presenting two typical case studies from among those who have been served by this project:

Chuyen’s Family
For the last five years living in Rach Bun hamlet in Go Cong Dong district, Nguyen Thi Thanh Chuyen and her two children suffered from a severe lack of water, as did the majority of their neighborhood. Due to the low elevation of the area, the soil is becoming saltier every year. Chuyen’s family collected water from a river nearby and stored it in three jars, containing about 100 liters in total. However, as the season changes, ocean water surges into the river, the resulting water is undrinkable. Throughout this season, the price of fresh water shoots up to around VND 100,000 (US $5) per liter, a price few can afford.

Within three days of implementing the project, Chuyen hired a team to complete the construction of a concrete rainwater container, measuring approximately 2m X 3m. She can store about 25 times more water than before and ensure that her family’s basic needs for safe water are met. “We used to drink from the river,” she said, “but now, we’ve got a more healthy drinking water supply. Our lives are much more improved.”

Linh’s Family
On average, each person needs at least 2.5-3 liters of water a day for basic survival needs. This means the four large water jars that Phan Ngoc Linh’s family were using would only provide enough drinking water for two months, leaving her family with a dramatic shortage of water during the annual dry season.

Living in a coastal area of Tien Giang province, the family has limited access to safe clean water. Due to the area’s low elevation, the rise and fall of the tides infiltrate the soil, making it too salty for ground water wells. On the other hand, it is far too expensive to drill deep wells. Piped water is also not an option due to the remoteness of the area.

While the five members of Linh’s family used to rely on four jars of river water, they knew drinking river water was not healthy and the jars not sufficient. When the project was begun, Linh signed up immediately and waited for her turn to build a concrete rainwater catchment container.

Habitat provided technical expertise on construction, as well as safe water and sanitation practice. Households like Linh’s also received assistance for locating sources of affordable materials, as well as supports on simple methods of water purification. Financially, each family also received a microfinance loan with very low interest to be paid in three years into a revolving fund so that other households can access money in the future.

Unsafe water causes approximately 1.8 million diarrheal deaths every year. The project has delivered to homeowners like Chuyen and Linh a way to avoid serious diarrheal diseases while making everyday life easier and less costly.

The project is important in two aspects. First, it was designed to assist the families with whatever services and materials they needed for their individual needs. Second, the impact of the funds spent on the project was multiplied by an innovative microfinance program, which will result in more families receiving benefits far into the future.

Conclusion of Gregorio Ferro-Cement Tank and Rainwater Catchment Project – Brazil

This project has been completed under the direction of Rosângela Araújo, Vice President of Instituto Diamante Verde (IDV). To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to build a rainwater catchment system and ferro-cement tank in the village of Gregório.

Rosângela reports:

It took 5 months to complete the project, under the direct supervision of Professor Manuela, now elected head of the Association and representative of the Instituto Diamante Verde in Gregório.

This year something really amazing happened in Queimadas/Gregório village. During the summer season 2010/2011, the news showed the tragic scene of 22 villages facing water shortages due to a lack of rain. However, due to the adoption of a program to build ferro-cement tanks, Queimadas had the capacity to capture sufficient rainwater to fulfill the basic consumption needs of the communities that make up the municipality.

The pictures show the proven construction techniques that resulted in the completion of the collection and storage system in Quemadas. As a result, 580 people now have an adequate water supply.

The completion of this project makes possible additional development efforts, under the direction of IDV, for the benefit of the community. These include a tree nursery and erosion control program as well as a gardening program to grow organic vegetables, legumes and fruits for the consumption of the students. Finally, moringa trees are being planted around the natural water source. This not only prevents evaporation but also produces leaves and other components with significant nutritional benefit.

We wish to extend our thanks to Rosângela for carrying out this great project, and creating a model to follow for similar projects in the municipality.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for the project.

Filter Project for Garbage Dump Workers of Guatemala

In December, Water Charity began a program to provide water filters to the families that work in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. We will be working in conjunction with Safe Passage
(Camino Seguro), a nonprofit organization that does extensive work with this population.

Safe Passage works with the poorest at-risk children of families working in the garbage dump. They provide a comprehensive and integrated program that fosters hope, good health, educational achievement, self-sufficiency, self esteem and confidence.

With financial support from Safe Passage, each child is able to attend a local public school for the half-day term and then come to their center for educational reinforcement, caring and supervision.

The environment in and around the dump is toxic, with methane gases, rotting food, insects and vermin, and unsafe water. Entire families, including the children, are forced to work in these conditions in order to survive.

As part of the program Safe Passage provides literacy training and health education to the mothers of the children enrolled in the program. It is through this Mothers Group that we are implementing the filter project.

Unclean water worldwide is responsible for illness and death due to intestinal illness. In Guatemala, it is one of the leading causes of death, with disproportionate impact on infants and children.

Although there exists a water supply in the neighborhood surrounding the dump, it is contaminated with metals, bacteria, viruses and parasites. This population provides an outstanding application for one of the common filter technologies, as no other low cost alternatives for safe potable water are available. Obvious choices are those using biosand and ceramic technologies.

Biosand filters have been proven worldwide to remove contaminants in water through a combination of biological and mechanical processes. In essence, the filters make unsafe water safe for families to use for drinking and household use.

Ceramic filters have proven equally effective, and the choice must be made on other factors which include, for example, effectiveness, availability of materials, costs, ease of transportation, longevity, and preferences of the beneficiaries.

Safe Passage provides a clinic at their Reinforcement Center. The clinic offers on-site health care for the children enrolled in the program, as well as their direct family members. Medical records are kept, which will enable a controlled experiment to prove the effectiveness of the filters in combating gastrointestinal diseases.

This project is to be viewed as a pilot project, to be replicated and improved upon with demonstrated success. In view of the lifesaving effectiveness, low cost, long life, minimal maintenance, and ease of implementation, we have moved it to the top of our project list.

This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion of Guatemala City Water Filter Project

We are pleased to report the conclusion of the pilot projects to install water filters in the homes of the members of the Women’s Literacy Group of Safe Passage
(Camino Seguro) in Guatemala City. You can read the history of this project HERE.

The project resulted in the installation of 43 point-of-use Ecofiltro ceramic water filters, and the training of all recipients in the proper use and maintenance of the filters. In addition 3 large filters were placed in Safe Passage public areas.

The project began with studies by Ecofiltro, a nonprofit that manufactures clay filters in Guatemala, showing that the water coming out of the municipal water pipes was polluted with contaminants, such as e coli, at least 87 percent of the time.

There were also health records kept by the Safe Passage clinic, and the nursing staff had concluded that children suffered from diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal illnesses due to unsafe water much of the time.

Safe Passage then did a baseline study, meeting with all of the filter recipients and collecting extensive background data. This data will allow them to follow the families on regular intervals, coinciding with regular visits to assure that the filters are being used properly. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the filters in eliminating or cutting down disease is now possible.

As an added bonus, the participants in the program will receive a 20-hour course on nutrition, hygiene, and holistic health for themselves and their families, conducted by La Familia de Las Americas.

The project was extremely gratifying in many respects. First was the opportunity to work with Safe Passage, an organization doing such great work with the families that work at the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Their integrated approach, taking into account the many needs of a specific segment of the population, allows individuals to elevate themselves from the difficult conditions in which they are surrounded.

The project was led by Liz Love, who directs the Adult Literacy Program at Safe Passage. Through her hard work and dedication, this project was carried out without a hitch.

Working with a cohesive group of motivated mothers will assure compliance in the use and maintenance of the filters, and allow for evaluation.

As a pilot project, the technology, practices, and procedures can be replicated, and other needy groups and families can be served.

Many international aid organizations focus on the needs of communities in the rural areas, sometimes resulting in neglect of urban communities. With dense population, urban pollution, and difficult sanitation problems, the cities are in need of increased and immediate attention.

We will be continuing our involvement with Safe Passage to deal with the needs of the community they serve, with other water and sanitation technologies that may be appropriate.

Conclusion of Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 2

This project has been completed under the direction Liz Love, Adult Literacy Director of Safe Passage. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to provide 35 additional Ecofiltro ceramic water filters to serve 280 persons, comprised of families enrolled in the Adult Literacy Program.

The background of the project is as follows:

In May 2009, 42 filters were provided by Water Charity and given out to women who attended Adult Literacy classes as well as 4 placed in Safe Passage public areas.

In June 2010, 32 of these women requested and bought a clay basin replacement with a 50% discount of Q100.00 provided by the company Ecofiltro.

This project resulted in an additional 35 new filters provided to women and men in 2010, all of whom participated in training regarding use and maintenance of the filters as well as general public health education.

The success of this effort can be seen from a PowerPoint presentation prepared by a Safe Passage Volunteer, entitled Ecofiltros for Safe Passage Families.

There are a number of factors to be noted in this project. The selected technology is easy to install, use, and maintain. It is in great demand by the participants in the Safe Passage Program.

The large majority of those who received the filters in the first project liked them so well that they proceeded to buy clay filter replacements for the units and continue to use them.

Most importantly Safe Passage has continued to work with the beneficiaries and to document the health benefits that have accrued from the consistent use of the filters.

The PowerPoint shows universal compliance with proper water filtration practices among those receiving the filters. It also shows a dramatic reduction of diarrheal disease reported by users.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Conclusion of Huanaco Community Latrine Project – Peru

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Frieda von Qualen. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to build two public bathrooms (each bathroom having a men's and a women's room), for the use of the entire community.

Frieda reports that the municipality completed the construction within budget. Funds from Water Charity went directly toward buying the building materials. The community supplied bricks, some roofing materials, labor, and tools.

Frieda expressed her thanks:

On behalf of the community in Huanaco in Ica, Peru, I want to thank you for your generosity in helping build public bathrooms in Huanaco. For many families the public bathroom is the only bathroom they have access to.

The hygiene commission helped carry out various educational sessions about how to make safe drinking water in the home, how to separate trash, when to wash hands, and how to block the various routes of contamination.

To see the back of Frieda’s thank-you card, CLICK HERE.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Sya Bright Future Primary School Water Tank Project - Uganda

This is the first project to be implemented under the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks Water Tank Program – Uganda. A large-capacity water tank will be built to serve the needs of the Sya Bright Future Primary School.

Omungari Parish, located in Kiruhura District, is a rural community located in the “dry cattle corridor” of southwestern Uganda. Located 22 kilometers from the nearest paved roads, the people who call Omungari home are mainly of the Banyankole and Bahima tribes. They are generally farmers and cattle herders who grow mainly bananas, maize, and cassava for subsistence, and coffee as the main cash crop.

Omungari is a growing community, most notably seen in the last two years through the arrival of two public service institutions. The presence of Life Child Initiative (LICHI), a privately run health center, and Omungari Secondary School, has spurred an increase in residential construction throughout the trading center and surrounding areas.

Despite the increase in activity seen for Omungari, many problems loom large for living healthy lifestyles. Alcohol consumption is high, income is very low, theft is prevalent, and literacy levels are low, to name but a few.

In addition to the aforementioned, two aspects of life in Omungari stand out as major obstacles to improving the quality of life for the people. Access to clean water sources throughout the area and limited resources within the school systems are serious issues that need to be addressed.

The Sya Bright Future Primary School is, like the health center, a privately run institution, in contrast to the more prevalent government sponsored schools. Catering to students from nursery level to primary seven, there are currently 17 staff members and nearly 400 students, about half of whom are boarding and half day students.

As with nearly every school in the area, Sya Bright Future has a major challenge in meeting its own need for clean water in order to cook, wash clothes, bathe, and drink. Currently, water is taken from a nearby pond that is filled by groundwater runoff from the fairly large watershed area surrounding the school. This is very poor quality water and leads to a host of hygiene and sanitation-related problems for staff and students alike.

Under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Jesse Coker, who presently works at LICHI, a water tank will be built at the school through the use of Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSB), as explained on the program page for the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks Water Tank Program – Uganda.

The school has several large buildings with excellent iron sheet roofs that are ideal for the harvesting of clean rainwater for all of its water needs. A 20,000-liter water tank will be positioned just downslope from the new large dormitory, which is just upslope from the bathing area and also just upslope from the kitchen. This way, the least effort is needed to transport the water for multiple uses throughout the schools compound.

The money supplied by Appropriate Projects will cover roughly half of the costs of this project. The rest will be covered by Sya Bright Future Primary School.

The use of the ISSB technology will assist in the development of a new business that is aimed at helping LICHI transition from external funding sources to a more local, sustainable, and community-oriented approach to health care provision. The construction of this water tank at Sya Bright Future Primary School will help to achieve significant results at two levels: meeting the water needs at the school, and helping to establish a business that will support the activities of a rural health center and thus the health of a population in need.

As an added incentive for potential clients, Engari Community Health Centre is offering complimentary health talks in hygiene and sanitation for every tank that is constructed.

To indicate your desire for your contribution to be allocated toward the overall Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks Water Tank Program – Uganda, please click the Donate button below.

Completion of Julio Verne School Water Project in Guatemala

The Water Charity project at the Julio Verne Elementary School of Saquiya, Patzun, Guatemala has been successfully completed. To see the history of this project click HERE.

The effort resulted in the installation of 3 Rotoplas water deposits, 5 functioning toilets, a cement water deposit, a washing station, and 6 sinks with faucets. The sinks are connected to galvanized tubes that receive water directly from the water deposits.

The project was carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Melanie Reda, and with the assistance of Global Water albanil Albert Xoch, and Lynn Roberts.

Melanie reports:

They are now able to store 1350 liters of water in the deposits ensuring that there is at the very least a 3-day supply of water for each student and teacher.

She further states:

The generosity of the Water Charity donors has made such a difference in the lives of the students and teacher of Julio Verne. Please know that we are eternally grateful for the support.

This project has been fully funded. If you wish to donate to follow-up projects of Melanie Reda and/or those of her counterpart Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala, click the Donate button below.

Julio Verne School Project of Melanie Reda - The Start

Melanie Reda is a Peace Corps Volunteer, working in Aldea Saquiya, Municipio of Patzún, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. She is undertaking a project to construct a water deposit, and install eight faucets and three flushable toilets at the Julio Verne Elementary School.

Melanie reports:

"The community has recently been connected to the local drainage and public water. The school has the opportunity to construct projects that will prove to be sustainable for years to come. By connecting the water system of the school to the public water system, the school would be able to count on water 100% of the time.

"The purpose of the water deposit is to allow water to be stored until the construction and paving of the highway is completed. This construction has cut the school off from water more than three days a week due to pipes being damaged. Thus the need for a water deposit remains.

"Although the school has existing toilets, they are drained into a seepage pit. The pit is nearly full due to the constant u sage and would prove to be a potential contaminant if use were continued. Constructing three additional toilets and connecting them to public drainage would put an end to the contamination and threat of future contamination.

"Additionally the one hundred students and six teachers that attend the Julio Verne Elementary School would be able to practice hygienic habits including tooth brushing and hand washing with the implementation of the faucets. As the situation stands the school only has access to one faucet to be used for all cleaning, cooking, and hygienic practices."

Please click the Donate button to make your contribution by PayPal or credit card. You may designate that your contribution be used specifically for this project by so advising us using the Contact form on this website. You may also send a check to us at the address shown HERE.

To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE.

Katie Bovitz, Volunteer in Paraje El Zapote

Katie Bovitz is a Peace Corps Volunteer, serving in Paraje El Zapote, Pachilip in the Municipality of Joyabaj, Department of Quiche, Guatemala. She is serving under a 9 month extension to her original Peace Corps commitment of two years.

Katie will be leaving Guatemala in April, and asked if we could fund a last project she wanted to do before she left. After reviewing her proposal, we committed to the project, within her timetable. We told her to start acquiring the materials, as the funds are on their way.

In 2008, Katie raised money to build a two-room elementary schoolhouse in the village of El Zapote. The school is currently under construction and is scheduled to be finished by the end of April. She needed the funds for the latrines and hand washing station for the school.

The project falls directly within our purview of water and sanitation. We are providing the resources that enable the completion of the school.

There are 47 families in the village of El Zapote, and 51 school-aged children who will directly benefit from this project.

Katie says: “There will be a set of 4 latrines constructed of cement block (like the schoolhouse) with simple concrete toilet seats, and a paved floor. The hand washing station will be an elevated water deposit with 8 taps, constructed of block and concrete.”

We will keep you informed on the progress of the project. If you believe that this project has merit, send us a donation. Your funds will be used to complete it, and to undertake others like it.

To read the update on Katie B’s School Project, CLICK HERE.

Update on Katie B’s School Project

Katie is getting ready to complete her extended Peace Corps tour the end of April, and the she still needs to finish the handwashing stations and latrines for the school. The school will then be certified as a Safe School, under a program run by the Guatemalan government.

Katie was getting so anxious to move things along, she actually started to buy the materials from the hardware store on credit!

Yesterday, we gave a presentation before the Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary Club, and they immediately made a generous donation to Katie B’s School Project. I promised we’ll put a plaque on one of the latrines.

Water Charity was so anxious to get the remaining funds to Guatemala in a hurry, we decided to fund the balance ourselves. We mailed the check today. We want to thank our local Postmaster, Jeri-Lynn Miller, both for inviting us to speak at the Rotary Club meeting, and for making sure the check arrives quickly.

To read the background information on Katie B’s School Project, click HERE.

This project has been successfully completed by Peace Corps Volunteer Katie Bovitz, through the generosity of the Rotary Club of Crestline.

Ventilated Latrines for The Village Of Chuisac In Guatemala

We are proud to announce another exciting project by Water Charity. We feel strongly that this project exemplifies the way international assistance projects should be approached.

While traveling in Guatemala, we had a fortuitous meeting with a Peace Corp volunteer, Katie McKenna. This energetic and enthusiastic young woman reinforced our commitment to follow a strategy of working closely with Peace Corps Volunteers in the field. We let her know that we would be interested in funding any water or sanitation projects she might be able to organize before leaving her post.

Katie got back to us with a wonderful project in which she would work together with the villagers themselves and a local NGO with which she had previously partnered. In short, Water Charity decided to fund the building of latrines for the entire village of Chuisac in Chimaltenango.

The project will be done in stages, with the first 20% already in motion. We will keep everyone posted about it here, and Katie will give us occasional narrative and photographic reports from the field. Here is Katie's assessment of the situation in her village and the need for latrine construction:

Ventilated Latrines
Chuisac, Varituc is located 5km outside the town of San Martin Jilotepeque and has a community of about 140 families, the vast majority of whom do not have a latrine in an acceptable condition. The majority of the latrines do not have walls or roofs, and there are some latrines being used by two or three families, on average 8-10 (and as many as 14) people using a latrine. The health promoters in the village have noticed that in some of the houses, grade school kids are defecating in the yard. The community is concerned about its health and wants to better its sanitary conditions and rid themselves of diarrhea diseases, especially in young children (every year multiple infants are hospitalized with diarrhea), and because of this, they are interested in the construction and use of latrines. The latrine consists of a pit in the ground 5 meters deep and 85 cm in diameter, a 1 square meter cement floor with a cement seat, cinderblock walls, a laminated roof, and a PVC tube that serves as a vent in order to get rid of bad odors.

The total cost of one latrine is over 1,000 Quetzales, but the families have agreed to put up half the cost in local materials and manual labor, bringing the price of 1 latrine down to about 560 Quetzales. There are currently about 100 families in Chuisac interested in a latrine, bringing the total amount to 56,000 Quetzales or $7,500.

Water Charity is committed to seeing this whole project through to comple tion, and will raise the entire $7,500. The labor itself will be done by the villagers, assisted by the Guatemalan NGO Behrhorst Partners for Development. As mentioned, 20% of the project is already funded and underway. That leaves $6,000 as yet unfunded.

If you would like to contribute specifically to this latrine project, you can specify that in a note with your donation. Your entire contribution will be used only for construction in the field, and no portion of it will go for overhead or administration. For just $75 you can purchase an entire latrine.

Progress Report on Katie M’s Latrines

Katie reports that the first 20 latrines have been completed, and that holes have been dug for 20 more. That really puts the pressure on us to keep up, as we have told her that we won’t stop until the whole town has latrines.

With your help, we can do this. Here is a note from one of our donors:

“I am hoping to be able to keep fund raising and whenever I get enough money for a latrine I will send it. This money is being donated by the operating room staff and physicians at Minneapolis Children's Hospital.”

Why don’t you do the same thing? Pass the hat around the office, and donate $75 for one latrine. Let us know it’s for Katie’s Latrines. Click the Donate button use PayPal or your credit card. Otherwise, send a check to Water Charity, P.O. Box 368, Crestline, CA 92325-0368.

Katie reports:

“In many cases, we have 13 people currently using 1 latrine, and the picture of the men building the latrine is in a house where there is NO latrine. They had the hole dug, but they didn't have the money to buy the little house around it and the seat.

“These families worked day and night to get the holes and latrines done, digging holes 23 to 50 feet deep! It is scary work in a hole that deep and narrow. For the latrine you see being built, the family went down 120 feet!!

“They are very serious about this. We are doing education along with the latrine project as well. It is not good enough just to give a technology (however crude). It must be accompanied by education on its use. It may seem obvious how to use a latrine, but many communities have them and still children are defecating in the patio.

“This is a huge mechanism for the spread of disease and cause of diarrhea. We have done multiple educational trainings and discus sions with the beneficiaries of this latrine project to make sure that they are used well and that this project will actually improve health, the end goal.

“Right now, my community has water, but according to the American nurse who visits us once a month, we have one of the highest incidences of diarrhea of all the communities in which she works. These latrines are crucial to the improvement of my community's health. They have made this project their priority, organized faster and better than I could ever have believed, and they are ready to finish it up.”

To read the background to this project, click HERE.

Urgent Challenge to Complete Katie McKenna’s Latrines

We previously reported on the urgency of the need to raise funds to complete Kate McKenna’s project to provide latrines for the entire community of Chuisac, Guatemala.

The latest news is that all of the holes have been dug for all of the latrines in the community! This increases the urgency, to say the least.

An extremely generous donor, Bruce Bain, has stepped up to the plate, and issued the following offer:

He will match all donations, dollar for dollar! However, the donations must be made before Midnight on March 17.

Water Charity started the funding of this project with our contribution of $1,500. Katie quickly completed 20 latrines, demonstrating her amazing capacity for performing as promised.

Katie then reported that she had an additional $1,075 lined up from friends and family. At that point, Bruce offered to match eve ry donation above that, up to $2,000, to enable Katie to finish the project.

We have reached and surpassed the $1,075 threshold, so every dollar you contribute now results in a two dollar contribution to the project. No part of your contribution goes for salary or administrative costs.

We urge you to contribute at once, by clicking on the Donate button. Let us know it is for Katie’s latrine project.

You can read the background of this project HERE.

Update on Katie M’s Latrines: She Made the Challenge!

Katie McKenna reached her goal of raising $5,400, and the money continues to come in. As reported previously, a generous benefactor, Bruce Bain, donated $2,000, contingent upon Katie receiving matching contributions. With a tight time limit of one week, there was a public outpouring of support for Katie and the project, and she raised the funds with time to spare.

Katie reports:

“This Friday and Saturday we will be receiving material for 40 more latrines and doing some interactive education with the group about how to change habits and help children to use the new "technology." Today we are monitoring all the latrines already made to make sure they are being maintained well.”

With some funds left over, Katie is deciding what to do next, from among many worthwhile possibilities. One exciting concept is that she use some funds to provide child toilet seats for the latrines. With “compliance” always an issue in sanitation projects, this would help ensure that children would be able to use the latrines without fear.

We’ll keep you updated as the construction moves to completion. We are struck by the success of the campaign, and we hope that we will be able to capture the essence of the process so that it can be replicated at other times and in other places.

We at Water Charity wish to add our thanks to those of Katie, and express our gratitude to each and every donor who made it happen.

If you haven't been keeping up with this project, you can read the background HERE.

Conclusion of Katie McKenna's Latrine Project

Katie McKenna is completing her Peace Corps service in Guatemala, and returning to the United States to continue her education, her career, and her life. We are extremely grateful to her, not only for the work that she did, but for the inspiration she has given us

In all, 91 latrines were completed. The project was inaugurated by the happy and appreciative townspeople, and will stand as a reminder of her selfless efforts.

Katie will be credited with creating the model of combining a terrific project with a supportive fundraising effort. It was only through her tireless conviction that such an ambitious project could be undertaken and completed in such a short time.

You can read the history of the project HERE.

Conclusion of Kindergarten Catchment Project – Ghana

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Alan Ruge. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The overall project was the construction of a Kindergarten/Nursery School in KwakuSae, a community in the West Akim District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. The involvement of Water Charity was for the rainwater collection system.

After the building was largely completed, with walls, roof, floors, and ceilings, the work was done on the water tank. The plumber installed a tap and prepared the tank for installation next to the school.

The tank was placed on the concrete stand, and the gutters were then put up and connected to the tank.

The building was then completed with doors, windows, and paint. It was then dedicated, and put into use!

Alan expressed his gratitude and that of the community:

We want to thank you all again for helping to make this whole project possible. The town and students are all very excited about the new facility, and we are very happy to be able to offer this project to help improve the life of the students in KwakuSae.

After the conclusion of this project, Alan undertook the renovation of one of the classrooms in the JSS (Junior Secondary School) that had been condemned for safety reasons. This amply demonstrates the momentum that derives from successfully finishing a major endeavor, and building on that base of community support.

Alan and his wife Marian are completing their Peace Corps service and heading home. We owe Alan a debt of gratitude for completing this ambitious project, and continuing to do more.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Progress Report - Kindergarten Catchment Project – Ghana

To read about the start of this project, CLICK HERE.

Our participation in this project is to fund the raingutters around the building, which will feed a water storage tank. Although this portion of the project comes later in the construction, we will provide progress reports as the work progresses.

The old school for the KG/Preschool currently houses some 30-40 children in a mud hut environment. With the large numbers of children in the community the school is well beyond capacity. The new school construction was started in a field in front of the old school.

Peace Corps Volunteer Alan Ruge reports:

In the first two days of work by community members, they dug the foundation by hand and poured concrete and standing rebar for the pillars. After a day to cure, the first foundation blocks were laid and the work progressed.

As of this time, the community has been working for seven days and they have placed the foundation and cemented in the first six rows of blocks.

Basic construction in Ghana is done with solid concrete blocks that are 9 x 18 inches and are 6 inches thick for the foundation and then 5 inches thick for the walls. To begin we had 1,350 blocks delivered. We have over 1/3 already used, as well as cement, sand, gravel and rebar.

There was a break of 3 days for the funeral of the retired headmaster of the school. Now that this is over we anticipate a fairly prompt construction schedule with an end date in February or March, 2010. We are already looking forward to the end product and this wonderful new addition to the community.

To make a contribution for this project, use the Donate button on the project page.

This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion of Kologan Agroforestry Project – Togo

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Christine Remein. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to develop a sustainable system of agriculture by planting trees in alleys, alternated with crops, to improve soil quality, improve water retention, prevent erosion, provide wood, and prevent deforestation.

Christine reports:

This project was completed by the Sitchope Cooperative of Kologan.

An agro forestry system takes at least two seasons to reach production capacity. Although the system is not yet at capacity, all trees are planted and have established themselves. The cooperative therefore views the project as a success. As the trees continue to grow they will begin to fix nitrogen into the soil, and create compost to improve soil quality, water retention, and prevent erosion.

The ally cropping will increase field production, and within 6 months provide wood for fodder and fuel. As the trees grow, labor input—in the way of land preparation and wood collection—will decrease. The farm will become increasingly more productive, producing more grains and vegetables.

The community also completed cisterns to expand their irrigation system.

Primarily Luceana, Semmia Samman and Lebbeck trees were planted in the alley cropping farms, though Albezia Chevelerie did not grow well in the local environment, and was thus limited in its use.

The cooperative did not plant the cabbage they originally intended to plant, or do some gardening they normally do. This is because the first rainy season was very irregular and they needed to water the grain alley cropping field by hand. Bringing water to the field created a large amount of unexpected labor.

Despite the extra labor created by irregular rains, the cooperative installed extra fruit and fodder trees to line the gardening field. The trees reinforce the agro forestry system. The trees will protect the cisterns and riparian zones from erosion, increase agricultural output, and create fodder.

Members of the cooperative have gained experience and understanding in implementing an alley cropping agro forestry system from seed to tree. They have gained an understanding of the amount of labor involved, how to install the system, when to plant, and what species to use. The cooperative will become a source for alley cropping seeds, and has contact with a seed supplier. All of these experiences can be passed on to other farmers in the area.

There should be very limited cost to sustaining the project in the future. Now that the trees have established themselves there will be very limited labor associated with the trees. Members of the cooperative have visited a functioning alley cropping field and therefore have enough experience to maintain the fields. If there were to be some sort of crisis, the members have contact with a seed supplier in a nearby city. The group is able to access co-op funds to pay for seeds. The cooperative has increased their field production capacity exponentially. Through implementing new farming techniques and transforming their farm, the cooperative members now have a better understanding of agricultural science, (i.e. soil quality and sustainability.)

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for this project.

Kristen Petros's Water Tank Project - Guatemala

Kristen Petros is a Peace Corps Volunteer living near Patulup, El Quiche’, Guatemala. The local elementary school has 65 students, from pre-primary through sixth grade.

The school receives no water during daytime hours. Water is needed for drinking, food preparation, handwashing, and cleaning.

Each and every morning, along with their notebooks and pencils, students are required to bring with them 2-liter bottles full of water in order to sustain the school’s water supply.

Water Charity is funding a water deposit tank so students will no longer have to haul heavy bottles long distances, and will be able to learn in a healthy and sanitary environment.

Check back here to see how the project progresses. In the meantime, please make a donation which will be used specifically for the completion of this project, by clicking on the Donate button below.

If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Water Charity, with the designation Kristen's Water Tank Project, and send it to:

Averill Strasser, COO
Water Charity
P.O. Box 368
Crestline, CA 92325-0368

This project has now been funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

Any donations using the Donate button below will go toward additional water and sanitation projects in Guatemala.

To see a progress report, click HERE.

Progress Report on Kristen’s Water Tank Project in Guatemala

To read about the beginning of this project, click HERE.

Kristen has reported to us about the progress on purchasing the materials and building the base.

Kristen went with Professor Ismael and four representatives of Patalup to purchase the water deposit tank and materials to construct the base.

Featured in the photographs are María Mejía Avilam, María Tzampop (representative of Patulup Community Development Committee), Isabel Mejía Vicente, Ismael Morales (teacher in Patulup school), and Domingo Yat Cor.

In between, Kristen hosted 16 new Preventive Health Peace Corps/Guatemala trainees who visited her site to learn about life, work and play as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Local masons have started building the base, near the door of the kitchen. She will provide us with a final report and construction photos when the project is completed.

You can read the conclusion of this project HERE.

Conclusion of Kristen’s Water Tank Project in Guatemala

To read about the beginning of and progress on this project, click HERE.

Water Charity funded the purchase and construction of a water deposit tank in Patulup, El Quiche, Guatemala. Previously, in order to have water during the school day, students had to haul 2-liter bottles filled with water to the classroom each day.

This video shows the successful conclusion of the project under the direction of Kristen Petros, Peace Corps Volunteer.

The project was funded through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

Kristy’s School Improvements Project in Mauritania - The Beginning

Water Charity is working with Mauritania Peace Corps Volunteer Kristy Smiley on a project to provide needed water and sanitation facilities in one of the fourteen primary schools in which she works.

Kristy lives in Kaedi, Gorgol, Mauritania. She works with mainly with the 5th and 6th grade French speaking teachers. Science and math are taught in French, but everything else is in Arabic.

Mauritania is located in northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by the Morocco-controlled Western Sahara on the northwest.

The first part of the project is to provide a sufficient and cost-effective water resource to the school by repairing the existing well that is on school grounds. This will provide water for the students, as well as school gardens and tree nurseries.

The second part is to repair the school’s latrines in order to provide a safe and private place for the students to relieve themselves, as well as learn proper hygiene.

The school’s parents’ association will pay for 25% of the project in materials and labor.

This project is starting now, and Kristy will keep us updated. Your donation in any amount is urgently requested. If you use the Donate button below, your contribution will be directed specifically toward Kristy’s project.

To read about the progress of this project, click HERE

Suspension of Kristy’s School Improvements Project in Mauritania

Things happen. That is especially true when you’re a Peace Corps Volunteer working in a developing nation. Here is the gist of what has transpired:

• The Peace Corps pulled all volunteers out of Mauritania for political reasons.
• The project is suspended until the Peace Corps returns to Mauritania.  Hopefully, at that time, a new volunteer will be in a position to be located nearby and re-instate the project.

On August 12, 2009, the Peace Corps issued the following statement:

The Peace Corps has suspended its Volunteer program in Mauritania due to safety and security concerns. All Peace Corps/Mauritania Volunteers are currently in Senegal; they will not be returning to Mauritania. Although it is the agency’s position that the Volunteers are relatively safe in their communities and villages, it is potentially dangerous for them to travel safely in the country.

Both the Peace Corps and the U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott will continue to monitor the safety and security situation in Mauritania. The Peace Corps will continue to assess the situation and determine when the security conditions on the ground permit the safe return of Volunteers. The Peace Corps office in Nouakchott will remain open and all staff will continue to report to work.

All Peace Corps/Mauritania Volunteers, if eligible, will be given an option to continue their service with Peace Corps in another country. They can also elect to return to the U.S.

The Peace Corps has enjoyed a long history of successful partnerships with the communities of Mauritania since 1967.

Water Charity was in contact with Kristy as events transpired. Volunteers were alerted that the move to Senegal was likely, and then imminent. When she arrived in Senegal, she was advised of the possibilities, opportunities and decisions to be made.

Kristy took advantage of the chance to remain in Africa by accepting a post in The Gambia. We will keep you advised as she gets established at her new location. We are hoping she will submit a new project to us. In addition, we are hoping that, very soon, the Peace Corps will return to Mauritania and that work on the project Kristy started there will proceed.

To read about the beginning of this project, click HERE

Photo courtesy of Julie Ann Clark.

Conclusion of La Colorada Arriba Water System Tank Project - Dominican Republic

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Casey. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project, to build a ferro-cement tank for water storage, was the third to be implemented under Water Charity’s Ferro-Cement Tanks for the Dominican Republic and Haiti Program. It was the largest to be undertaken to date, and built upon the technology developed during the construction of the prior tanks.

Sarah reports:

In the community of La Colorada in Maimon, Puerto Plata, a ferro-cement reservoir tank was constructed with a capacity of 50,000 L. The tank is part of a water system that will provide potable water to 135 households, three churches, and a primary school.

The construction, which took place over a five-day period, was part of a program to train masons in ferro-cement techniques, with the aim of popularizing this low-cost method to more effectively meet water needs in underserved communities, particularly in Haiti.

The pictures demonstrate the construction process. Through the construction of these three tanks, the Haitians have gained proficiency in the technology, and are now capable of replicating the process in various locations in Haiti that are in dire need of water storage capacity.

We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing matching funds for this project. Without their commitment, this project, and the entire ferro-cement tank program, could not have become a reality.

Completion of La Crucita Spring Box

The first phase of the La Crucita Water System Project has been successfully completed. To read about the start of this project, CLICK HERE.

The project was designed so that each stage could stand on its own and create value, even if, for some reason, an obstacle prevented progress on subsequent stages.

The first phase was completed despite the political unrest in Honduras, which threatened the project. This attests to the commitment of the town and the ability of Peace Corps Volunteer Michelle Richards to persist under adverse conditions.

In the end, the municipality was able to honor its commitment, and the town was able to raise additional money through fund-raising activities, such as raffles and food sales.

Michelle Reports:

The community chose to hire a construction supervisor named Pedro Santos, who lives nearby and regularly works on similar water systems with Aldea Global. He constructed the spring box in accordance with the design specifications. The community members provided all the non-skilled labor required.

The members of the community were able to convince the municipality to donate pipe, and they have actually begun to lay the piping from the spring box to the site where the cistern will be located.

The community members were led by two outstanding representatives. Pedro (a different Pedro), the President of the town council, managed the money, and purchased and transported the materials. Carmen, the Vice President of the town council, organized all of the members of the community to work on the system. She kept track of how many hours each family contributed toward the project, and made sure that the workers were on the job each morning.

According to Michelle, everyone is very excited about the project, and they are looking forward to the next phase, in which water will be brought to the cistern. This will eliminate the 2 km. hike from the village to retrieve the water.

We are still seeking donations to pay for the first phase, and are working hard to accumulate funds to proceed to subsequent stages. Donations in any amount may be made by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the project description.

Conclusion of La Cruz Water Project – Guatemala

This project has been completed under the technical direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Ashley Kissinger. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

The project started with an objective to build a 1,200 liter rainwater catchment tank, with an accompanying handwashing station, at the elementary school in La Cruz, Cajola, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

It became much more, with the help of a number of individuals and agencies.

In June, Ashley reported:

We started construction four weeks ago, but due to Agatha we had suspended construction for two weeks due to the conditions of the road. Currently, we are up and running again. The water tank can hold up to 40,000 L of water and has its own 5M water pozo (well) and rain water catchment system.

She recently informed us that the project had finally been completed. The video below amply shows the process and the final result.

We are happy to have been a part of this effort, which made it possible for Ashley to see the project through to conclusion on the eve of her completion of Peace Corps service.

The project was funded through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

Conclusion of Latrine Building Project – Benin

This project has been successfully completed, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Dennis Chon. To see the history of the project CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct eight family latrines in the rural community of Akodebakou, Benin. The technique was to use concrete blocks made on-site to line the pits to contain the waste.

Dennis reports that all of the latrines were completed according to plan, despite some delays due to roadblocks and a shortage of cement in the area.

Individual families were left to complete the latrines with privacy walls according to their own preference and on their own schedule.

Dennis had the opportunity to discuss latrine usage, latrine maintenance, and the importance of washing hands with the participants.

Dennis was able to finish this great project, within budget, on the eve of his completion of service with the Peace Corps. He is returning to California leaving his community a better place.

Conclusion of Latrine Construction Training Project – Dominican Republic

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer E. Monteith. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was part of a larger effort to build 15 to 20 latrines, and conduct a construction, maintenance, and hygiene training program as part of the process.

In total, 18 latrines were built. Project funds were used to purchase cement, sand, gravel, zinc, wood, nails, hinges, PVC, and rebar.

All of the owners and families learned proper latrine placement to protect the water supply. They helped each other to build the latrines, and were all committed to maintaining them into the future.

The families came to 3 meetings pertaining to general latrine maintenance and hygiene as part of the program.

In all, about 100 people directly benefitted from the project from improved health and wellbeing.

Conclusion of Latrine Construction and Training Project – Panama

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Andrea Newman. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

Andrea reports:

The project benefited the community of Bajo Membrillo, which is located in a valley of the Comarca Ngabe-Bugle (the equivalent of an indigenous reservation with the political rights of a state) in the highlands of Panama.

9 families live in Bajo Membrillo and none had a latrine. When we began the project only one man had mixed cement. I am proud to say that today, every family has one or two men who learned how to mix cement, construct a latrine floor and use a metal mold to create the latrine seat. They are proud, too.

It seems sexist that only the men mixed the cement, but it keeps with the cultural norms of the area. The women helped to carry the supplies, and are educating their children on the correct use of the latrine. They are particularly grateful.

Just last week I hiked to the community and made sure walls had been placed around the latrine, the last requirement before the beneficiaries could claim their zinc roofs. All 9 latrines now have walls and roofs!

Andrea reported that the funds stretched much farther than she had imagined. She was therefore able to building 11 more latrines in her own community!

In all, it is estimated that 120 persons are benefiting from the construction of these 20 latrines.

We are grateful for the funding provided by Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

Conclusion of Latrines Project – Ghana

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Amanda Herring. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to build two 10-stall latrines in a fishing village on the coast of Ghana.

Amanda reports:

After they began digging the pits for the latrines, the energy and excitement in the village was indescribable. All of the labor was contributed by the community, working together to complete this vital project. I was very happy with the motivation and teamwork, which stayed high during the entire time.

Project funds were used to pay for materials, including roofing, lumber, cement, pipe, paint, brushes, hinges, and nails, as well as for transport of materials to the job sites.

A community member was selected to take care of the latrines. He will collect nominal amounts from persons using the latrines, to be utilized for upkeep and maintenance. He also will keep the latrines and grounds clean.

Community members came to my door at 5:00 in the morning to give me bananas, plantains, and oranges to thank me for the latrines. My friend Ama came to my room crying and hugging me. From the bottom of their hearts my village thanks you!

The two 10-stall latrines now stand at opposite ends of the community, and are used by all 1,000 residents. The project created a sanitary work area for the fishermen and a serene playing area for the children, and will continue to serve to prevent the spread of disease.

Please accept my sincerest thanks in supporting my village in our Community Latrine Project.

We are grateful to Amanda for completing this project, and again thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding.

Conclusion of Latrines Project in Uganda

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Shari Quan. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to build low-cost latrines for 20 households, for the benefit of about 160 people.

Shari reports:

The goals of the project were to improve community health and build marketable skills by constructing 20 household latrines, holding hygiene workshops, training youth to construct dome-slab latrines, and training local leaders and students to facilitate workshops.

Accordingly, 20 latrines were built at households in the village by the Rural Agency for Sustainable Development (RASD) and 4 youths in training.

The project focused on training these villagers in a marketable skill that would enable them to improve their own economic livelihoods while simultaneously addressing an immediate community need. These people now have the skills and knowledge to work independently and make money in this and neighboring communities while improving community health.

One workshop for adults and three workshops for children were led by students and local leaders to impart hygiene education, and educational promotional calendars were printed and distributed to beneficiaries around the community.

The latrine recipients have been required to repay the initial investment of the materials in their latrines, and collection of this money will allow the RASD to continue this latrine-building program and extend the work to other villages without the aid of additional grant funding, thereby making it a sustainable community project.

We are grateful to Shari for completing this important project.

Conclusion of Latrines Project – Morocco

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Moira Alexander. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project took place in Ouled D’Abou, a small douar located in the commune of Ouizeght, south of Missour in the Boulemane Province of Morocco.

The project was designed to accomplish all of the work necessary to ensure that every house in the community had a toilet. It was estimated that 43 new and 19 refurbished residential toilets would be needed.

Capacity building was to be emphasized in the areas of volunteerism, community collaboration, and technical skills such as construction and maintenance of the toilets.

Various plans were prepared, depending on the specific needs of the household.

The project called for disseminating supplies to the various households, and providing whatever specific technical help and labor that each family needed.

Community groups and individuals contributed local materials and provided labor for the project.

Moira reported that the best part of the project was working to build the capacity of the men's association, which stepped up and undertook many aspects of the project.

The project objectives were accomplished just as Moira completed her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer and returned home.

On behalf of the people of Ouled D’Abou, (now) Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Moira Alexander, and Water Charity, gratitude is extended to Six Senses Resorts and Spas for their contribution which made this project possible.

Lenny’s “Pilas” Project - The Beginning

Water Charity is pleased to have enabled a project in rural Guatemala to provide sinks for an entire community. The project, which will serve 86 people, was proposed by, and will be completed under the direction of, Lenny Van Boven, a Peace Corps Volunteer, living in Chicocox, Guatemala.

Here is how Lenny describes the project:

The project consists of providing 16 pilas, one per home, accounting for the population of Chicocox. Caserio Chicocox is part of the Aldea Xinacati, Municipio of Cubulco, located approximately 15 km northwest of Cubulco. The community is accessible only by foot.

In 2001, a water project was completed whereby running water from a stream-fed tank, located approximately 5 km away, was piped to the community.

The addition of pilas will permit the washing of clothes, food and dishes in a more comfortable, hygienic and professional manner.

Water shortage is a common problem in the community during the dry season (December-May), and the tanks of the pilas will aid water storage.

Water Charity looked very favorably on this project for many reasons. It added to a prior successful project, thereby directly impacting on the wellbeing of the community. It was simple and limited in concept, presented no impediments, utilized appropriate technology, was cost effective, and could be accomplished at once.

Furthermore, the plan called for community participation, a necessary element in any community development project.

Water Charity made a commitment to provide funds for the project, and build upon an existing and identified co-funding source.

A sum of money had been raised by the students of Treeview Elementary School , in Hayward, California, under the direction of their teacher, Irene Riddle. The funds were previously earmarked for transporting textbooks, but other means were arranged for the books to be sent to Guatemala, freeing up this money for use on Lenny’s “pilas” project.

With the assistance of Friends of Guatemala, an organization of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Guatemala, the funds from the two sources were aggregated and sent to Guatemala for use in the project.

Installation of the pilas is presently underway. Lenny will give us updates and photos as the project progresses.

Progress on Lenny’s “Pilas” Project

This is a progress report on the “Pilas” project of Lenny Van Boven, Peace Corps Volunteer, serving in Chicocox, Guatemala. You can read about this project HERE.

During the planning stage, Lenny determined that it would be less expensive to purchase fabricated pilas than to build molds, purchase the materials, and pour them in place.

Lenny planned the implementation as follows:

The community participation will be in the form of transportation. They have already formed into two geographically distinct groups, and have pooled money to hire a truck which will bring the pilas partway. They will then split up into smaller groups and be responsible for bringing the pilas in by hand and foot. Each pila is made of solid cement which has been poured into a mold, and they weigh approximately 500 pounds each.

Lenny reports that to date the community has purchased and transported 8 pilas. This week, they will purchase 8 more to be used in family homes, plus an additional one for the local school. In addition, drainage systems will be set up.

In the near future, CARITAS, an NGO working in the vicinity, will send its water and sanitation officer to discuss pila use and care with the community.

Conclusion of Los Uveros Water System Project – Dominican Republic

This project has been successfully completed, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Gabriel Miller. To see the history of the project CLICK HERE.

The project was to construct an 11,000 liter ferro-cement tank for water storage in the community of Los Uveros, Altamira, Dominican Republic. It was the first tank built as part of the Ferro-Cement Tanks for the Dominican Republic and Haiti Program.

Here is Gabriel’s report:

Los Uveros Water Tank
The 10,000 liter ferro-cement water tank in Los Uveros was completed successfully on June 29th, 2010. The tank was the first of three water tanks completed as part of a training for several Haitians that will continue building ferro-cement tanks in Haiti. The tank took five days to complete. A brief outline of the process of the tank construction and training is included below.

Preparation:
The week prior to the tank training all of the materials were purchased. The area for the tank was cleared and prepared. The sand and gravel were moved to the site. Due to the poor quality of the purchased sand, all of the sand had to be washed. It is important for ferro cement tanks that the sand be well washed. Silt and clay in the concrete mix can cause weaknesses. In addition, all of the plumbing for the tank was prepared beforehand.

Day 1:
During the first day of construction a 10 cm thick concrete floor for the tank was installed. All of the plumbing is buried in concrete beneath the floor, including the intake, outtake, overflow and cleanout. After completion of the floor the chicken wire and rebar wall was assembled. The wall uses a rebar mesh for the form of the tank and chicken wire tied on both sides of the wall, which provides tensile strength in the tank wall. Work was finished slightly early on the first day due to heavy rains that came.

Day 2:
Following completion of the floor and the wall structure, the wall was tied to the floor in a circular form. A tarp was tied around the outside of the wall structure to provide a surface for the first concrete mixture to stick, which is course sand and cement mix.

Day 3:
During the third day of construction a second layer of sifted course sand were put up on the inside and outside of the wall. The inside layer includes an additive, called Sika-1, to help make the concrete mixture impermeable. A float and sponge were used on the outside layer to finish it for aesthetics.

Day 4:
Two more layers were added on the inside of the tank during the fourth day of construction. This includes a layer of fine sand and cement with the Sika additive and finally coat of pure cement. The final coat of pure cement helps seal any cracks that might have formed in the concrete. After the final two coats on the wall a thin mixture of fine sand and cement were also layered on the floor. Since time was still remaining on the fourth day, a stone masonry valve box was also constructed.

Day 5:
During the final day of construction the roof of the tank was completed. First a structure of sticks and tree branches was constructed within the tank to support the roof. On top of the stick structure palm leaves were used (instead of plywood to save cost) to provide a surface to support the concrete roof. As with the walls, a chicken wire and rebar structure was created to provide the roof concrete with tensile strength.

We are grateful to Gabriel and the entire crew that helped in the construction of this water storage tank. It is a pioneering effort that demonstrates a number of factors, including the organizational approach, the technology, and the training aspects.

As the project was a complete success on all levels, we were able to proceed immediately to undertake the second tank in the series, the El Brison Water System Project – Dominican Republic.

We again wish to thank Henry Polgar, on behalf of the Panamerican-Panafrican Association (Japan office) for the generous contribution.

We also extend our thanks to Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing matching funds for this project. Without their commitment, this project, and the entire ferro-cement tank program, could not have become a reality.

Conclusion of Malobi Rainwater Harvesting Project – Suriname

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Amber Ray. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This project was to install 46 rainwater harvesting systems and tanks at convenient locations throughout the village.

Amber reports:

The Malobi Clean Drinking Water Project was completed in June. My host country national counterpart was Anapai Dima. By the end of the project we were so proud to have completed the project and to have been successful. He, and two women who turned out to be the leaders of the project, learned so much during the process of designing, transporting, and implementing the project.

The day that we finished distributing materials (for each section of the village to set up on their own) Anpai started talking so fast about what went well in the project, what we would do differently, and what he learned. The project was a success, but it was so amazing for me to see how much both Anapai and myself had learned about working with this kind of project and working with Sarmakan culture.

We gave a deadline for all the tanks to be completed by the end of June when our Country Director George Like was to come out to look at the complete project. The concept worked well, and when he came and visited, the project had been completed. In all, 52 tanks were installed.

The community was truly appreciative of the water tanks. Many people came to my house and to Anapai's house thanking us for the work that went into the project. It truly makes a difference for the health of the villages to have clean water so accessible, especially for the lives of the women, children, and the elderly.

We talked to the villagers of the section and made sure that people understood how to properly maintain the tanks, and knew the strategies for conserving water in the dry season.

On behalf of the village of Malobi I would like to thank you so much for the work that you do on a daily basis!

The village of Malobi was one of two villages that were featured in an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, in which I served as a translator. The episode really shows what life is like on the Suriname River.

We extend our thanks to Amber for completing this ambitious project, and again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funding for the Water Charity participation in this project.