Senegal

Community Description
Dioulafondu is a medium-sized village of roughly 800 people in the far south east of Senegal. It is located 50 kilometers northeast of the regional capital of Kedougou, two kilometers off of the new national route to Mali, in the arrondissement of Bembou in the Kedougou region.

The village has an elementary school with two completed concrete classrooms, a classroom currently under construction but still being used, and one bamboo shade structure for the youngest class. The school has two UNICEF-built latrines, but no potable water source nearby.

Located on the edge of Dioulafondu and one kilometer from the nearest source of potable water, the students at the village elementary school have no easy access to water during the school day. Several buckets of water are pulled and carried to school each morning for washing the blackboards but the amount is insufficient for use in handwashing and drinking.

A school garden was started in cooperation with the school director to teach the basics of gardening and nutrition.

Project Description
This project is to build a covered, cement-lined well in the school, and will provide daily access to drinking water.

It will also provide water for irrigation of the school garden during the hot season. The vegetables grown will contribute to the daily school lunch and thus work to improve nutrition among the students.

In addition, handwashing stations outside of the latrines will be implemented in order to promote better hygiene.

The labor for digging the well will be provided for by the village.

Project funds will be used to construct a well cover and install a simple hand pump that will be connected to a small raised reservoir, reducing the effort required to pull water and ensuring a constant supply when needed.

Project Impact
There are currently 133 students and 4 teachers at the Dioulafondu elementary school who will be directly affected by the project by receiving easy access to potable water. The entire village will be indirectly benefited by the increased garden productivity that will allow students to sell surplus vegetables in the village in order to aid future school projects and well maintenance.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kellen Eilerts

Comments
The new water supply will supply water for the students to drink, for sanitation, and for irrigation of the garden. This will enable better hygiene practices and improved nutrition for the students.

This is a terrific project, in which a very motivated community is providing a major portion of the construction costs of the project. This level of involvement ensures the sustainability of the project.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$0.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$500.00

Community Description
Missirah Ouseman, locally known as Ouseman Diay, is a Pulaar village situated 30 kilometers east of Kolda même and two kilometers off the road to Velingara. Founded by Ouseman Balde in 1963, the village has grown to 167 inhabitants with 15 heads of household.

As subsistence farmers, the villagers grow corn, peanuts, sorghum, rice, millet and cowpeas during the rainy season. The crops cultivated sustain the villagers throughout the dry season.

In addition to field crops, a main component of village nutrition is dry season gardening. Women grow vegetables in individual plots encased with bamboo fencing. Most plentiful are tomatoes, jaxatou, peppers, follerey and onions, supplemented by the occasional cultivation of cabbage, lettuce and eggplant.

Currently, women and children haul water from as far as half a kilometer away to water their gardens during the dry season.

A community garden has been established, funded by the community and other funding sources, which will make it more feasible to raise crops all year around.

Project Description
This project is to build a cement-lined well, connected to two cement water basins, inside an enclosed community garden.

The well will be 11 meters deep and double-lined with cement for durability. It will be connected to a cement basin on each side for water storage and increased garden coverage.

Project Impact
This project will directly benefit 167 people in the village of Missirah Ouseman. In addition, 150 people in surrounding villages will have access to the well.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Emily Bachman

Comments
This project will alleviate the burden of hauling water to maintain and irrigate a community garden. It will free up the time of women and children, to enable them to be more productive in work and study, and devote more time to family and group activities.

The garden will improve the diets of villagers, and yield commensurate health benefits, by increasing vegetable production and consumption.

Family and community income will be increased, as villagers will be able to sell surplus vegetables at local weekly markets nearby. This economic opportunity is vital, in an area where there is little other chance for gainful enterprise.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$0.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$500.00

Community Description
Thiabedji is a village of approximately 1,200 people, located about 35 kilometers from Kedougou, the region's capital city. It is considered a center point for about 10 smaller villages nearby, making it quite diverse linguistically and culturally.

While Pular is the main language of Thiabedji, there is a fairly equal mixture of Pular, Malinke, and Bedik spoken in the surrounding villages.

Large-scale fruit farming has become popular in the area. However, there is a shortage of knowldege and experience in the planting and cultivation of fruit trees.

Thiabedji is the home of an ideal example of an orchard. The owner of the farm is an expert in local methods of tree care and orchard management, and has created a network of fruit-tree farmers in the area. The network will allow local tree farmers to come together for trainings and discussions.

Inside the orchard, there are about 60 mango trees of all sizes, about 20 banana plants, and many local fruit trees. It is the ideal site for a demonstration orchard for all those interested in starting or improving their own.

Last year locals from 8 different villages came to the orchard to learn how to graft mango trees. This year, in partnership with local development organizations, trainings in many other categories will be offered.

A year-round source of water is needed to make this fruit tree demonstration site effective in teaching orchard growing techniques to the communities.

Project Description
This project is to construct a well in the middle of the demonstration site. This will allow for trees to be watered all year around, a requirement for some of the technologies that will be taught and demonstrated.

The well will be dug by local diggers to a depth of about 10 meters and will have a cement lining. A manual rope pump will be installed to allow easy access to the water to allow mass watering. The well, being close to the village, will also be a source of water for those nearby.

Project Impact
This project will impact all of Thiabedji and the 10 villages that surround it, thereby helping hundreds of people through increased fruit production, and the resultant health benefits and economic stimulus.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Sheila McAtee

Comments
A demonstration project has the ability to produce results far beyond the immediate effect of a small construction project. Villagers will be able to learn new techniques, apply them in their own orchards, and teach them to others in their communities.

Dollar Amount of Project
$450.00

Donations Collected to Date
$100.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$350.00