Water Charity

Water Charity is participating in this project, which involves a number of other entities and individuals, by providing the final funding necessary to get the project underway.

The community of La Colorada Abajo, Municipality of Malmon, Puerta Plata, is home to more than one hundred people, who currently live without access to potable water. During the rainy season, the river often rises to prohibit vehicular traffic to the main road, thereby isolating the community.

To meet their daily needs, families currently collect rain and stream water that is contaminated with diarrhea-causing parasites. Diarrhea can lead to serious health complications, including dehydration and malnutrition, particularly in young children and the elderly.

The gravity-fed system outputs over seven gallons of water per minute, which is sufficient to meet the needs of the residents as well as those of the community centers: a schoolhouse, two community churches, and a local baseball park.

To ensure sustainability, the community has a water committee which was formed to manage the project from planning through construction and maintenance. The project will take approximately 5 months to complete.

The schedule calls for the purchase and transportation of materials, the digging of the trench, the assembly and burying of the pipe, and the construction of the tank, intake, river crossings, and standpipe.

The residents of La Colorada Abajo will supply all necessary labor for the project, amounting to almost 30% of total costs. In addition, all members will pay a biweekly quota toward system upkeep, and will pay to be connected to the system.

Project funds will be used to purchase the required materials. The project is being implemented under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Casey.

Plumbers will be trained to maintain the system. Health promoters will train the community in hygiene and sanitation, and make home visits to ensure compliance. Sustainability will be insured by fiscal responsibility in the collection and disbursement of funds for maintenance.

Participants will gain leadership and technical skills, which will carry forward to future community projects, and may lead to employment opportunities for those who take part.

This project, arising from and supported by the community and progressing through the organizational and planning stages, has the elements needed to continue through the construction phase on schedule and within budget. It will lead to the elimination of water-borne disease, and empower the community to progress to other development projects.

The Water Charity participation in this project has been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Casey of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Sarah and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in the Dominican Republic.

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

The immediate response has been to scale up production of chlorine and provide chlorine and buckets to families in the areas surrounding Port-au-Prince, the city most affected by the devastation.

In the longer term, it is anticipated that rural areas will experience an influx of refugees from the destruction of Port-au-Prince and overwhelm current rural water supplies. Increasing the capacity for household water treatment in rural Haiti will provide clean drinking water to the refugee population and the existing population.

In a crisis situation, simple solutions which are easy to implement at once are called for. Teams on the ground will provide safe storage systems (a bucket with tap and lid), chlorine supply, and training to affected, rural families and communities.

The chlorine solution that is used is that recommended by the Center for Disease Control. The simple water treatment system allows families to obtain water from any source, add one capful of chlorine solution to 5 gallons of water, wait 30 minutes, and then drink safe water. Experience shows that even the poorest families can treat their own water regularly with this system.

Sources for chlorine generators, buckets, taps, and chlorine tablets and granules have been established. Emergency response personnel will visit affected rural communities, identify community health workers who can assist with the distribution, and train technicians to implement and teach the processes and ensure compliance.

Your donation is urgently requested to assist us in this endeavor. Please click on the Donate button below. 100% of your contribution will immediately go directly toward work on the ground in this emergency relief effort.

Flash:  Every dollar you donate will be matched by The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust!

Cameroon is bordered by Nigeria on the west, Chad on the northeast, the Central African Republic on the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo on the south. The Extreme North has a population of about 2 million people.

The region suffers from sparse rainfall and high median temperatures. Its characteristic vegetation is savanna scrub and grass. It is experiencing deforestation, erosion, soil infertility, and desertification.

Reforestation is the restocking of existing forests and woodlands which have been depleted. In addition to mitigating the degradation, reforestation can also improve the quality of life by soaking up pollution and dust from the air, rebuilding natural habitats and ecosystems, and mitigating the effects of global warming.

The project has the ultimate goal of improving environmental conditions and community practices. It will combine the leadership and organizational skills of community leaders from groups such as schools, churches and mosques with the technical knowledge to start and maintain local tree nurseries.

The project will support the efforts of the communities of the region by assisting local leaders in taking charge of remediation of their local environmental problems.

The project will also support the local economy by providing financial compensation to local tree nurseries for the trees planted.

Participating communities will benefit by the increased availability of trees in the marketplace for their local use.

Technical expertise and environmental education will be provided to the communities and schools, which will have a long-lasting effect on the region.

The project is being run by Peace Corps Volunteer M. Cleaver.

This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer M. Cleaver of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by this PCV and/or other projects by PCVs in Cameroon.

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

The Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta has little access to water, consisting of a small chorro that receives water once a week for an hour. The young students currently bring water in 2-liter bottles from their homes or the local stream to school in order to sustain the water supply.

Teachers do not have water to mop their floors or to teach basic hygiene to the children. Atol, a mid-morning snack, cannot be handed out due to the lack of water. At times water must be borrowed from neighbors in order to do necessary chores.

The project is being administered by Peace Corps Volunteer Ashley Kissinger.

Water Charity is pleased to be participating with other NGOs in this project, and our funds will go for skilled labor and materials. The community and parents from the school are contributing additional labor, and will maintain the tank and pipes upon completion.

To see plans for the project, CLICK HERE.

This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Ashley Kissinger of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Ashley and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Guatemala.

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

Currently, the only source of water for the school is a nearby well. However, the well is not reliable, typically drying up from February to late April. Furthermore, it is not safe to drink the untreated water, and the well presents a danger to the students trying to draw water.

Working with the Association Pour le Dévelopement des Adductions d’Eau Potable (ADAE), the primary school has found a solution in the construction of a supply line and faucet, which will provide treated potable water.

The project will be directed by Peace Corps Volunteer J. O’Meara

The community will provide 50% of the total project cost. Their contribution will be in the form of labor for construction, including the digging of the trenches for the pipes.

Project funds will be used for the purchase and transportation of materials.

This project provides a simple solution to a problem that affects all of the students at an elementary school. Providing them with clean water is expected to relieve them from the burden of procuring water from an unsafe well. It will reduce gastrointestinal illness and create a better learning environment.

This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Jennifer O’Meara of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Jennifer and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Burkina Faso.

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

This small community is made up of indigenous subsistence farmers who raise corn, beans rice and coffee. It is a steep 2-hour hike from the nearest road. Currently no latrines exist in the community and people defecate in open pits or in the surrounding hills, creeks and rivers.

This project was chosen by the community members as being of primary importance to the welfare of the village. The community is contributing 57% of the total budget.

The project is being coordinated by Peace Corps Volunteer Andrea Newman.

The latrine design includes a moveable floor. When the latrine is full, the floor can be placed over a new hole, and a tree can be planted over the old hole.

Project sustainability lies in the training the community will receive in both construction techniques and in health issues and disease prevention. Additional training will include latrine use, water treatment, and maintenance.

The participation of Water Charity in 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 Panama.

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

The project will be led by an association of 15 small farming communities in the San Juan Valley of the Dominican Republic. The project site is located between two of the communities, and will have an impact on all of them.

The project is being carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer B. Saver.

The primary source of income of the communities is agricultural production. The clearing of land for agriculture has caused widespread deforestation, which has had a significant effect on the livelihood of the inhabitants.

Deforestation has caused soil erosion, the drying of rivers, and a decrease in rainfall. Soil erosion causes farmers to lose more of their land suitable for planting every year.

A fruit tree nursery will be created to provide place for villagers to buy grafted fruit trees that can be used to practice sustainable forestry techniques. A healthy biodiversity will be created, and soil conservation techniques will be implemented.

An additional benefit will be that the nursery will provide a supplemental income for those who are involved in the planting, maintenance, care, and sales of the trees.

The community members will do all of the work in starting the nursery, including clearing and preparing the land. They will build fences to surround the nursery, water the plants daily, and provide all necessary maintenance. Project funds will be used to purchase the necessary tools, seeds, and materials to establish to nursery.

The project will serve to protect the water source for the communities, and improve the use of the land upon which the people rely for their survival. Forestry skills will be taught to the villagers that can be continued and replicated. A single infusion of capital will have an ongoing impact, as the project will become self-sustainable.

To indicate your desire to contribute to this project, please click the Donate button below.

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

The Republic of Cape Verde consists of 10 islands (9 inhabited), located about 375 miles off the western coast of Africa, opposite Mauritania and Senegal. It is part of the Sahelian arid belt, and suffers from scant rainfall and limited fresh water.

Cape Verde has considerable underground reserves of water, but extraction has proved extremely costly.

Farming is the main economic activity. However, the country has few natural resources, and 80 to 90% of all food consumed has to be imported.

Cape Verde is susceptible to deforestation and desertification due to the demand for wood to be used for fuel. It is subject to the effects of climate change and to extreme weather.

There are concerns that tourism poses a threat to the local environment, including the rich marine life. Cape Verde is an important nesting site for loggerhead turtles and humpback whales feed in the islands' waters.

Environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles. Illegal beach sand extraction and overfishing are additional environmental concerns.

The environmental education plan will include three trainings for teachers. Of primary importance to Water Charity is one entitled Health, Hygiene and the Environment.

Additional trainings will be entitled Climate Change, Biodiversity and Local Ecosystems, and Reusing “Trash” for Educational Materials.

Although most of the projects we are involved in are more direct and hardware-oriented, we recognize the multiplier effect that can be achieved through education and training. In the segment entitled Educating EcoEducators, professors will be taught using innovative teaching methods, which will reinforce their knowledge base of global and local environmental and health concerns.

In addition, students will be motivated by EcoContests to think creatively about environmental issues. This will allow teachers an opportunity to put new teaching skills to practice.

There is important community and school collaboration, which has yielded the contribution of space for trainings, expertise to lead training sessions and assistance in organizing the EcoContests and getting prizes donated.

The municipal government will provide posters, other publicity materials, and transportation costs. In addition, it will fund an Earth Day Celebration where teachers and students will exhibit their new knowledge and work.

Project funds will be used for training supplies and to facilitate student participation.

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

In the municipality of Santa Apolonia, Ellen works with two rural agricultural communities, Chuaparal I—an indigenous population—and Cojulya—a primarily Ladino population. Over half of the 47 families in the two groups do not have latrines. For those that do, the latrines, which often serve for more than one family, are in poor condition and do little to aid fecal control.

The communities are plagued by chronic diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases. The groups have requested a community latrine project, which will benefit a combined 300 men, women, and children.

Ellen is part of the Rural Home Preventive Health project, Peace Corps Guatemala. Volunteers are partnered with local health centers in various municipalities. Each health center reports to departmental level health centers which then report to the ministry of health.

Volunteers work with health center personnel to inform the local populace about preventive health habits and then to construct needed technology.

The water table is high in both communities, and pit latrines contaminate the ground water. Thus, composting latrines are the best option for the families.

Composting latrines are above ground and do not contaminate the water table. The movable seat sits on top of one side of a large cement box that is separated into two compartments. One side is used at a time, throwing ash or other dry matter after each use (to aid in decomposition) until it is full. The side is then sealed with a cement top and after six months the fecal matter decomposes into compost. During this time the family is using the other side of the latrine and the cycle continues.

The nutrient-rich compost is then used in the fields to enhance the quality of the crops. Furthermore, the composting latrine has a life-span that is over four times that of a pit latrine. The women have also noted that these latrines alleviate the common fear of children falling into pit latrines.

The latrines require continual education. Therefore, several models will be constructed, two in a school shared by the communities and three in group member homes. The school models will aid in instructing the children how to use the latrines and the home models will allow for the families to share their experiences.

All members of the interested families will be required to attend several presentations on the importance of the latrines, how they function, and how to maintain them. After three months, the families will construct their latrines with the help of a mason.

The two women’s groups are currently forming a single legalized group in order to aid one another in bettering the health of their communities. The primary goals of the group are to further education regarding preventive health and to provide needed technology projects for the communities.

For this project, the elected representatives of the group will not only be helping with the implementation of the project, but also teaching community members about the importance of a latrine for family health. The experience of this project will enable the united women to continue education and create future projects.

The community will provide the labor and all gravel needed for construction. The municipality will provide the funding and labor for the five models. In addition, the municipality has agreed to supply sand, transport of materials, and the mason for the family latrines.

This is a terrific project, which has brought together many entities and funding sources to get the job done. Water Charity is pleased to be able to enable the proliferation of composting latrines in these communities, leading to great impact on their public health.

$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

Any additional donations using the Donate button below will be used to fund other projects by this PCV and/or other PCVs in this country.

Habitat Philippines has been building homes in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao for almost a decade in its “Peace Build” program. Several of these communities were left with a need for safe and reliable drinking water.

Habitat Philippines states:

Amid the intermittent armed conflict between the government and Muslim-led groups fighting for self-determination, Habitat for Humanity has sought to contribute to the cause of peace by building houses for both Muslim and Christian victims of the armed conflict, including ex-MNLF fighters. These projects have been dubbed "Peace Builds," and they help contribute to the improvement of Christian-Muslim relations, with Filipinos of both faiths, including government soldiers and ex-combatants, rebuilding houses and communities together.

Sitio Matinang, Bual, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat (hereinafter referred to as Matinang), consists of 24 families. Homepartners have had houses built, but live there without clean and accessible water, a basic requirement towards the attainment of a holistic community.

Matinang has a source of spring water that is 200 meters away from the site perimeter but it is inadequate to support the needs of the entire community. In cooperation with the Habitat local management council in Matinang, the spring will be freed of contamination, and a reservoir will be constructed.

The project recognizes the need for sustainability and capacity-building, including institutional and community development. There will be management and leadership training for community-elected officers.

In addition, homepartners will be trained in health care, hygiene, and sanitation, and the communities will be trained in water and watershed management.

Skilled workers and laborers will be hired from within the community. Youth group volunteers will help in tree planting and other related activities for the protection of the project.

Beneficiaries will be required to contribute labor to the project to ensure their commitment to the project. A minimal amount will be charged to sustain operations such as administrative costs, maintenance, and services.

This project is being administered by Sharon Keld, a Peace Corps Response Volunteer serving in the Philippines. Sharon previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco (’06-’08).

This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sharon Keld of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Sharon and/or those of other RPCVs and PCRVs.

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