Six Senses

This project will serve 114 homepartner families and other members of “Peace and Development Communities” located in two low-lying barangays (villages) in North Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines. The houses in these communities were built with international funding. However, funding for a water infrastructure was not included, and they are left without a water supply.

The project to bring potable water will utilize 12 Jetmatic pumps, each serving several dwellings from a centralized location. These hand pumps of Philippine manufacture provide the appropriate technology for the specific need, as rainwater catchment systems would not serve well in this climatic condition.

The two communities to be served are:

Each of these communities has a profound need for a ready water supply. Presently villagers must retrieve water from a substantial distance away, rely on contaminated sources, or be forced to purchase water from vendors at exorbitant rates.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Office of the Governor and the Midsayap Habitat for Humanity, Inc.

The project for the installation of the water systems will begin immediately, and will lead to vastly improved health, sanitation, and productivity.

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 the Philippines.

The community has a health post, a primary and secondary school, and a recently-renovated gravity-fed water system. However, it lacks basic sanitation infrastructure.

As is the case with most villages in the district, there is a high level of water and soil contamination resulting from human and animal defecation in the open-air, or in poorly-designed pits. Chronic gastro-intestinal illness and childhood malnutrition are a direct result.

This project is to construct 60 “dry bathrooms”, one for each family in the community. It will benefit 300 people.

Dry bathrooms use no water, do not fill up the way that pit latrines do, and produce usable compost and liquid fertilizers for use in agriculture.

The project has been planned and will be coordinated by a project committee, composed of five dedicated community members (three men and two women).

Peace Corps Volunteer Matt Inbusch will direct the project.

Each participating family will provide the sand, gravel, and rock for the concrete mix, as well as wood beams for the roof, 500 adobe bricks for the hut, and manual labor during the construction phase.

Recipient families will prepare home gardens, micro-landfills, and small corrals for their domestic animals before receiving their construction materials.

Also required will be participation in a series of training workshops regarding various aspects of the project. In this way, the project will encompass more than sanitation alone.

In addition to the public health benefits derived from proper sanitation, the project also addresses the issues of nutrition, solid waste management, and environmental protection.

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 Peru.

The only school in the community lacks running water and a bathroom. Teachers and students must retrieve water and use a latrine a distance from the school.

This project is to provide the school with running water and a bathroom. This has been an ongoing project for the past few years, but has been stalled for lack of funds to complete it.

The project will be carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Adam Montgomery.

The community has already built a room for the bathroom and has also acquired several key materials for the completion of this project.

Project funds will be used to buy the lacking materials to fully complete the project.

The bathroom will include three private stalls (3 commodes), one sink, one shower, and lighting.

The school currently has an artesian well located about 30 feet from the proposed bathroom that they use to retrieve water.

Water will be pumped from the well to the bathroom. The water is potable, and a spigot will be installed at the school garden along with the faucet in the bathroom

Bathroom waste will pumped to a secluded area located at the site of the old latrine in the back of the school.

170 people will benefit from the project, including the 40 students and 5 teachers at the school and the rest of the community that regularly uses the school for community events.

This project has now been fully 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 Paraguay.

Gregorio village has 321 families, comprised of 1100 inhabitants. Queimadas has 16,000 residents. The villagers suffer from water shortages, and are dependent on water trucks that come to deliver water.

To get a graphic image of the water crisis in the community, and the need for a water storage system, CLICK HERE

The tank will be built beside the College Renato Gonçalves Martins. The site was selected by an association of villagers and heads of the school to serve the school and the surrounding community, and meets the approval of the municipal secretary of development and education.

This project, Water Charity’s first in Brazil, will be implemented by Instituto Diamante Verde (IDV) under the direction of our friend Rosângela Araújo, who serves as its Vice President.

The ferro-cement tank will have a capacity of 30,000 liters, and will hold water collected from the rainwater catchment system. The tank can also be filled from water trucks during the dry season.

The rainwater catchment system, comprised of zinc gutters, will be fabricated by a specialist on site. The gutters will be attached to the roof of the school, and will capture water from the 360 square meter roof. Water will flow through a PVC pipe into the tank, and will be available on demand.

A master builder, with experience in this tank technology, will supervise the construction. The residents of the community will provide the labor.

There will be a capability for filtering the water, if necessary, utilizing the seeds of Moringa trees. The trees are already being grown under a separate project being carried out by the community with the assistance of IDV.

The project will directly benefit the 180 students registered at the school, plus approximately 400 additional villagers, comprised of relatives of the students and neighbors of the school.

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

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

The project is under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer and Engineer Duncan Peabody, as part of a larger plan for a comprehensive water system for the two communities.

El Brison and Las Batatas Arriba, are located high in the Cordillera Septentrional in the north of the Dominican Republic. They have neither running water nor electricity, and access to the communities is difficult or impossible by automobile depending on the weather conditions. As a result the communities have been largely neglected and remain completely without infrastructure, apart from a one-room elementary school.

Duncan is working on an overall project for the construction of a gravity-fed water system with a spring catchment to provide drinking water to 49 homes. The water system will be complemented by the formation of a community water board to govern the water system, and health and hygiene promoters to teach the community how to use the water to improve their well. Work has already begun on the tubeline.

The system is designed to serve the current population of 205 people, plus expected expansion. The source flow rate will be 3.5 gallons/minute, with water availability at 25 gallons/person/day.

A significant part of the overall project is the construction of a ferro-cement tank. The tank will store water during off hours so that during peak water demand there will always be water available in the pipeline.

Project funds will be used to purchase materials, including rebar, wire mesh, cement, sand, gravel, wire, aluminum lids, plywood, tarp, paint and plumbing fixtures.

As part of the overall program, the construction of this tank will include the training of several Haitians who, after completion of training, will go to Haiti to build at least 8 additional tanks. As part of the agreement for receiving training these workers will capacitate more workers in Haiti to continue to build these tanks, which are in high demand during the current crisis.

Most of the labor will be volunteer labor, with the exception that the trainees will receive small stipends.

The construction of this tank will take 5 days to complete, and is already underway.

This project has now been fully funded through the generous donation of Santevia Water Systems as part of their Santevia Gives Back Program, together with the matching funds provided by Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

Any additional donations using the Donate button below will be allocated to the construction of water storage tanks in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

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

Nearly 3/4 of the 12 neighborhoods in Dassa have a shortage of latrines, while in 5 of these neighborhoods latrines are rare. Thus, public defecation is the norm in certain areas.

This project is to construct 25 pit latrines for low-income families in the community.

The project will serve 500 people.

The project is being carried out under the technical direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Brigitte Pohren, working in partnership with DCAM/Bethesda, a leading NGO for hygiene and sanitation in Benin.

Project funds will be used to purchase the materials. Labor and some materials, including sand, will be provided by the families that benefit from the project.

Participating families will begin by digging 1-meter-diameter holes, with a 4-meter target depth. A mason coordinating the project will purchase the supplies and oversee the digging of the pits. Cement bricks and cement covers will be made and put in place. Actual construction will be done by the team, moving from one neighborhood to the next.

Informational sessions are a part of the project, and will include the importance of using latrines, latrine maintenance, and proper handwashing practices.

The project offers a solution to the sanitation crisis plaguing certain zones of the community. The plan to install sanitary facilities was community initiated as a means to achieve better hygiene and a satisfactory standard of living. It will greatly contribute to the long-term health of the community and improvement in the living environment of the villagers.

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 Benin.

The project is under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer and Engineer Gabriel Miller, as part of a larger plan for a comprehensive water system for the entire community.

The village of Los Uveros is located in the mountains of the Cordillera Septentrional in the Dominican Republic. The community suffers from a lack of potable water, and its inhabitants often have to walk long distances to obtain water, which is usually contaminated.

Residents experience severe illness resulting from poor water quality. For several years this community has been struggling to obtain clean water and has solicited the Peace Corps and other organizations for help with their cause.

Gabriel has worked extensively with the community to do a comprehensive assessment, and develop plans for developing a clean reliable water source.

A water committee has been formed and is in the process of being trained. The committee has shown remarkable motivation and commitment. The community has already been able to raise over a thousand dollars on their own. To ensure sustainability, the families have begun to collect user fees as a reserve for needed maintenance.

There are 110 people living in 42 houses who will be served by this project.

Project funds will be used to purchase materials, including rebar, wire mesh, cement, sand, gravel, wire, aluminum lids, plywood, tarp, paint and plumbing fixtures.

The construction of this tank will take 5 days to complete, and is beginning at once. In conjunction with providing a key component for the water system in Los Uveros, the construction of the tank will be used to train Haitian workers on the construction of inexpensive ferro-cement tanks.

To indicate your desire for your contribution to be allocated toward this project, please click the Donate button below.

Six Senses Resorts & Spas has graciously offered to provide matching funds for donations contributed for this project.

We acknowledge the generous donation of $1,000 from Henry Polgar, Dunfries, VA, USA, with the dedication:

This donation is made on behalf of the Panamerican-Panafrican Assoc (Japan office) and is inspired by the work of Tim McFarren who has for many years worked on sustainable technologies.

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

The combination of the improved spring source and distribution system, together with the rainwater catchment tanks, will give everyone in the community equitable access to potable water.

This project will be implemented by Peace Corps Volunteer Kaitlin Green, in conjunction with the Punta Sirain Water Committee, and the community at large.

Punta Sirain is a small rural indigenous community of 300 inhabitants. It is located on the tip of the Peninsula Valiente, part of the Comarca Ngöbe-Bugle protected lands, on the Caribbean coast of Panama. East of the Bocas del Toro archipelago and lacking roads, busses, or cars, the area is only accessible via a 90-minute boat ride from Chiriquí Grande or a 2-hour boat ride from Isla Colon. The remoteness and difficult accessibility makes the region tricky and expensive to develop, yet rich with natural beauty and culture.

The community has an existing gravity-fed aqueduct system. However, due in part to the topography, it is inadequate in size and scope, leaving most homes without easily-accessible water.

The project will start with the improvement of the aqueduct system to better serve those that are connected.

An existing spring box, presently serves a small portion of the community. It is uncovered, and untreated water flows into loose tap stands.

The spring will be protected, and a treatment chamber will be built. Four cement tap stands will be installed at communal posts, about a half-mile away.

The 40 homes that cannot be served by the aqueduct system will participate in a program to install rainwater catchment systems. All of the homes with zinc roofs, totaling 30, will participate.

The tanks will be industrial-sized manufactured 100-gallon tanks, purchased with project funds. Gutter systems made of PVC will be installed to collect the water. Water will be piped into the kitchens using PVC tubing.

The community will contribute about 1/3 of the project cost, including labor to repair the aqueduct and materials and labor for the construction of the wooden tank stands.

The community will be encouraged to use the communal tap stands as well as the rainwater catchment systems instead of fetching water from unprotected springs and the creek.

The improvements are expected to drastically increase the quantity and quality of the water available in the community, and thereby reduce illness caused by waterborne disease.

The beneficiaries will contribute to the project by investing $5 per drum. Each participating family will be required to attend a workshop regarding water conservation and basic hygiene.

The workshops will be lead by Peace Corps Volunteers and community health promoters. The goal will be to increase knowledge about disease transmission and teach skills to improve household water use and storage.

Skills to be acquired by participants in this project include ownership, managerial leadership, labor and construction planning, volunteerism, education on conservation, disease transmission, and hygiene, as well as maintenance skills.

The implementation of this project will reduce disease, promote overall hygiene and health, give homes individual responsibility for their family’s water supply, and give everyone in the community access to clean water.

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 the Panama.

A local river will provide water for needed irrigation, using a system of cisterns, a motorized pump, and movable piping.

This project is being carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Christine Remein.

Sitchope Cooperative is located in the village of Kologan on the outskirts of the county of Agou, Togo. The cooperative decided to use sustainable agricultural practices in their planting and irrigation, and settled upon a method of agroforestry that will provide for their needs while maintaining the quality of the soil.

Community members are primarily cultivators. The village suffers from deforestation and poor soil quality. As population increases, rainfall and farmable land decrease. Despite daily efforts of the community members, particularly women, to feed their families, malnutrition is a reality.

The cooperative has thus far prepared for the cisterns that will be installed, bought cement for the cisterns, and also planted the tree nursery. In the weeks to come they will build the cisterns, tend to the tree nursery, and buy piping for the irrigation.

Project funds will be used for the purchase and transportation of seeds and the construction of the irrigation system. The community will provide the labor for the project.

This project will benefit a community of 1,000 people.

A sustainable system of agriculture is invaluable to the beneficiaries of this project. Their livelihood depends on their capacity and ability to yield food from their farms and also make a profit. The system makes good use of the available water, as it closes the nutrient cycle of the soil.

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 Togo.

The population to be served is a portion of the 3,000 people who live and work in Central America’s largest landfill, the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. These people spend long days sorting through trash to find and sell recyclable items. They have formed communities on top of layers of trash, with tin walls and roofs housing an average of eight people per household.

Within these homes there is a general lack of running water and hygienic practices, leading to frequent health problems including intestinal infections, parasites, and amoebas among others.

Many only receive water for a couple of hours in the morning or night, where it is stored in a barrel for up to 24 hours. The water is exposed to bacteria and other microorganisms, making it harmful to the health of children and families when consumed.

Safe Passage’s mission is to create opportunities and foster dignity through the power of education. Their program currently serves over 500 children and nearly 300 families.

Water Charity intervened in May of 2009 with the goal of improving the health of families participating in Safe Passage’s programs. Under the direction of Liz Love, who heads up the Adult Literacy program, we provided 46 water filters from Ecofiltro to 42 Adult Literacy homes, as well as one small filter for the Literacy classroom and three large filters, one for the Early Education Center and two for the main Reinforcement Building.

These filters, along with one workshop on the use of the filter and good hygiene practices, have reduced the frequency of diarrhea and other intestinal problems in the target families. In addition, there have been many reports of higher consumption of water and satisfaction with the water quality.

Building on the success of the pilot project for water filters, along with Safe Passage’s desire to support more of the families participating in its programs, this project provides the opportunity to extend access to clean water to additional families.

The Adult Literacy program continues to grow, now including a new Men’s Evening Class and many new students. This project is to provide 35 additional Ecofiltro ceramic water filters to serve 280 persons in this new and unserved group.

Additionally, Safe Passage will provide training on installation and maintenance of the filters, along with general hygiene and nutrition, to each family.

Water Charity holds to the model of following up successful high-impact projects, more of the same. The first filter project more than met our expectations in terms of the numbers served, the compliance in continued use of the filters, and the resultant reduction of waterborne illness. The recipients were, and continue to be, very appreciative, noting the obvious decrease of illness within their families. We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to expand the concept to an additional group of people as part of the integrated services being provided by Safe Passage.

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

We are particularly appreciative of the support by Six Senses for our projects in Guatemala during these trying times in the wake of the volcanic eruption and flooding. Any donations using the Donate button below will go toward additional water and sanitation projects for the families at the Guatemala City Garbage Dump, which have been particularly devastated by this tragedy.