Water Charity

The project resulted in the conversion of a local naturally-occurring well into a functioning tap.

Serena reports:

On Wednesday, the 19th of May, we officially opened the completed water project in Phonjwane. The water committee took me and some community members on a tour and ended with a ceremony.

The taps will be opened for public use as soon as the site is visited and blessed by the Chief next week. My time here in Swaziland is winding down (this is my last week in Phonjwane) so I won't be there for the ceremony but I know it will go as well as the rest of the project did.

The community took complete control of the project and work schedule as soon as the money came in and has been hardworking and co-operative throughout.

The following pictures amply demonstrate the success of the project.

--- 1. The gates of the newly-installed fence surrounding the entire project. Because of the presence of water underground, goats and cows (which are set free to roam during the day) are attracted to the delicious grass and trample everything in their way. The fence ended up being a lot of money and a lot of work to install. In the future it will be improved with sticker bushes and branches from the area.

--- 2. Babe Shongwe (the Vice Chairman of the Committee) showing where the main pump and filtering system is. The area is enclosed to prevent any goats who are smart enough to make it past the first barrier from walking on top of it.

--- 3. The quality of the water from the taps is a huge improvement. The minerals present in the groundwater are filtered out, making the water clean enough to drink.

--- 4. The community's water source BEFORE.

--- 5. And AFTER.

--- 6. Community members around one of the taps. Babe Gamedze on the far right (wearing the skin) is the committee Chairman. Babe Mthethwa next to him is the Secretary.

Serena extends the thanks of the committee and community members of Phonjwane to those who made the project possible.

We again wish to thank The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing funding for this project.

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 The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing funding for this project.

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 The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for their contribution which made this project possible.

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 The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust 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.

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

The system consists of a groundwater pump and two water storage towers powered by an array of solar panels. The system includes a pump-serviced livestock-watering trough in the adjacent vicinity of the complex. In addition, there are 17 taps located in various places throughout the town.

At present, 14 out of the 17 tap heads are effectively useless, and an important pipe and the livestock-watering trough are broken beyond repair and cannot be turned off. The perpetually-flowing components create vast puddles of standing water which serve as a fertile environment for mosquito breeding.

Since the water supply is often exhausted, the water quality of the tap water is poor due to rust build-up, and few people drink from the solar pump system. The people have resorted to the use of the use of unsanitary uncovered wells in the vicinity, causing diarrhea, giardia, dysentery and worms in the community.

This project is to rebuild the broken solar pump-to-tap system by replacing the damaged taps with new lockable tap heads and repairing broken pipes and the broken livestock-watering trough. It will be administered by Peace Corps Volunteer Zac Mason.

The Water Committee will organize a system of assigning the keys to certain community members to make sure that only responsible adults can draw tap water, and they will implement a monthly payment system, to collect money for maintenance.

The Committee will pay for the transportation of the materials from Bamako to the village of Sanadougou. They will hire a local plumber to assemble the parts and a local blacksmith to weld the necessary pieces together. The Committee will also raise money from the villagers to help with the purchase of the new heads.

This project serves a town of 4,000 people. Repairing the existing system is an extremely cost-effective solution to the critical needs of the community. It is certain to result in a reduction of morbidity and mortality in the community caused by unsafe water.

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 your contribution will go toward Part 3 of this project.

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

Initial planning was administered by Sharon Keld, who was serving as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in the Philippines. Sharon finished her tour, and handed off the management to Margie Moran-Floriendo, the Co-Chair of Friends of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, and Beth Quijano of Habitat’s technical team, who saw the project through to completion.

The project, for the installation of a new water system in Matinang, resulted in clean water being made available for 24 families. Under the project, the nearby spring was freed of contamination and a reservoir was constructed to service the homes. In addition, two trainings on proper hygiene and one training on water source management were conducted.

We are grateful The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding for this project.

Ndvwabangeni is, by Swazi standards, a very large community located in the northern Hhohho region of Swaziland. It is situated in an area between the Matsamo border post and a small town called Buhleni.

This project is to construct a scoop dam as a means to alleviate the water shortage. The dam will be located in a central area in the community where it is possible for families to start their own gardens next to the dam. The project is being carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Melissa Lin.

At present, during the dry season, local water sources are not sufficient to support the community. The stream that will supply the dam runs year round, thereby providing the community with a constant source of water. This water will be used for gardening, farming, and other everyday needs.

The community members who initiated and are involved in the project are the members of the Ndvwabangeni Inner Council. They form the community’s local traditional government. As the local representatives they hold a great amount of power to mobilize people to carry out and complete projects.

The community will provide all the labor, tools, and transportation of materials for the building of the dam. A government organization has donated the use of its bulldozer for the project.

Project funds will be used to purchase the materials to construct the dam and put in the piping, a tap, a concrete wall, and fencing to protect the water supply.

Funds will be collected from the community to be used for future repairs, thus ensuring sustainability.

965 people will directly benefit from this project. It provides not only a water source, but also impacts directly on the issues of malnutrition and food security.

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 Peace Corps Volunteer Melissa Lin of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Melissa and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Swaziland.

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

According to the 2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey, the Boteti Sub-District has an HIV Prevalence of 14.6%. A recent report by the Rakops Primary Hospital stated that there are 1,520 active HIV positive patients registered in the village hospital and clinic.

For people living with HIV and participating in antiretroviral therapy (ART), personal care and positive living are obvious requirements to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

There does not exist a local source of nutritious vegetables, as the nearest grocery store is two hours away. Furthermore, those in need do not usually have the resources or time to tend their own gardens.

The Leretlhabetse Support Group (LSG) is a community group that serves those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. They have identified a key objective of serving the People Living with HIV (PLHIVs) community with cost-free vegetables as an immediate means to prevent suffering and death in the community. They have further recognized that educating beneficiaries on proper food preparation is essential to maintain the nutritional value of the crops raised.

This project is to assist the LSG of Rakops, working in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Peace Corps Volunteer Alexandria Price, to implement a vegetable garden and vegetable preparation class for PLHIVs.

A plot of land has already been acquired, and the total commitment and support of the community has been achieved. The initial crops to be raised will include rape, choumoellier, onion, tomato, carrots, cabbage, beetroot, spinach, green peppers and garlic.

The Vegetable Garden will provide nutritious food to PLHIVs, LSG members, and home-based care patients. The project is sustainable, in that 20% of vegetables will be sold, with the proceeds used for the maintenance of the garden.

As part of a larger community effort, Water Charity is participating in the project by providing for the irrigation of the garden and the toilet facilities. Included are a 5,000 liter plastic tank for the collection of rainwater, piping, and fixtures.

The project contains the key elements of gardening training, the actual implementation of the garden, and food preparation training. This will assist PLHIVs and caregivers in maintaining healthy lifestyles. Accessible to over 1,500 people, and delivering services to about 70 people at a time as needed, it is an extremely cost-effective means for serving a critical need in the community.

The participation of Water Charity in 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 Peace Corps Volunteer Alexandria Price of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Alexandria and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Botswana.

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

The work will be carried out in Go Cong Dong district in Tien Giang province in Vietnam. In that district a baseline survey conducted by Habitat in mid-2008, concluded that, “Shortage of safe water is one of the biggest problems… Sometimes, they have to pay 500 VND for 2 buckets of water, [this is] a burden for the poor.”

At present no organizations are working on water-related needs in the area. Go Cong Dong is near the ocean, and, due to its 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 very deep wells.

Although some areas within the district have piped water, the areas chosen for this project are difficult to access, and it is not likely that they will receive piped water. A rainwater collection solution is appropriate because it is an immediate solution, and provides the best value per dollar spent. It also gives families more control over the quality of their water, as rainwater doesn’t need to be treated as much as other sources, or at all when collected and stored properly.

Also, it was recently found in another baseline survey, in a separate province near the ocean, that nearly all of the people interviewed preferred the taste of rainwater to other types of water sources.

Each family will receive two rainwater storage jars plus a set of rainwater collection gutters. The jars will be made on site, at the location of each house, since it is more affordable than transporting the heavy jars. Each family will receive the assistance needed to construct the collection system. The project will cost $3,000, and will initially serve 25 families, or 150 people. However, micro-financing will be utilized to extend the project to an additional 70 families, or 420 people.

The exciting and timely concept of micro-financing involves the beneficiaries in the project by requiring them to make small contributions. This greatly adds to the sustainability of the project, as money collected through repayment is used to continue the project and increase the number of people who will be served.

Financing will be made available to poor families that have the ability to repay the loan over a long period of time. Once they begin to repay their loans, the funds go back into the account so that more families will be able to obtain loans.

The interest on the loan, set at approximately 0.65%, will be used as payment for the salaries of the Women’s Union staff, which will travel to the families’ homes for collections and manage some of the accounting for the revolving fund.

The families will also be provided with “Information, Education and Communication" (IEC) materials along with an explanation regarding proper water collection and containment, as well as how to budget and save money in order to properly manage their loans. Both of these IEC activities increase the capacities of the families.

The project is being directed by Habitat Vietnam’s project manager, together with 2 construction supervisors and their water and sanitation staff. This competent management will ensure the timely completion, superior quality, and proper fiscal integrity of project.

Family selection has begun, and construction is set to start at once. It is expected that the project will be completed in a month.

This is the first of many projects we hope to do in partnership with Habitat Vietnam. Please let us know how you like it, and show your support.

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

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

Soak-away pits can play a significant role in malaria prevention by eliminating the standing water that creates an environment for the proliferation of infected mosquitoes.

The project will be implemented under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Andrew Head.

Very few bathrooms in the community currently have soak-away pits. This leads to waste water accumulation and the pollution of public spaces. The sewage problem is intensified during the rainy season, which means that the project must be done before the rains come.

One way to prevent malaria is to reduce mosquito populations by removing breeding grounds. By digging the pit you allow the excess waste water to sink into the ground instead of polluting the surface.

Once the pit is dug and filled with stones, the mosquitoes can’t get to the water to breed, therefore eliminating or reducing the threat of malaria.

The project will promote the construction of soak-away pits by building one in the home of each participating junior high school student. Over a period of several weeks students will find stones, and then build the pits.

For construction of the pits, the students will measure sticks that are about three feet long. Then they will essentially make a three foot cube (three across by three wide by three deep). The pits are then filled with what are called cooking stones and then a pipe is run from the water drainage spot to the pit. The rocks are then covered with plastic or sack material and the dirt placed back on top. Ideally, when finished, the pits should only be seen as a pipe coming from the house and going into the ground. In that way all the water is kept below the surface.

The implementation of this project will allow the students to create a drama which will educate the community on malaria prevention. They will also engage in a competition for which the best-constructed pits will be recognized and prizes will be awarded.

Funds for the project will be used to purchase the materials for the building of the soak–away pits.

Over 50 pits will be built, serving a population of at least 300. In addition, other villagers who see the results of the project and learn the technology will copy the process and build many more pits.

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 Peace Corps Volunteer Andrew Head of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Andrew and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Ghana.

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