Underway

Community Description
Mozambique is located in southeastern Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean on the east, Tanzania on the north, Malawi and Zambia on the northwest, Zimbabwe on the west and Swaziland and South Africa on the southwest.

This project is situated in Chimundo, which began as an expansion neighborhood for the nearby district capitol of Chibuto. Although this neighborhood arose in the late 1970s, it was only after bad floods in 2000, causing loss of lives and the destruction of many houses in the Limpopo River Valley, that many people moved to Chimundo.

Chimundo has about 1,112 families consisting of 5,560 people. Some of the major problems Chimundo faces are: food security, high infant mortality (due to causes such as diarrhea, malaria, and bacterial diseases), high percentage of population living with HIV/AIDS, and low literacy levels. The HIV/AIDS epidemic that plagues Mozambique is a factor that contributes greatly to the growing number of orphans and vulnerable children in the area.

The community center is a response created by concerned community members designed to alleviate these problems and improve the lives of the Chimundo citizens.

In 2004, a project was started by a group of Franciscan nuns to respond to the needs of many flood victims who lost their houses. The project is divided into the following areas: a pre-school, an after-school program, a training center, and a recreational center.

The pre-school promotes the growth and development of motor, cognitive, and social skills for the young children. The after-school program is a space where school-aged children come for homework help and to occupy their free time constructively. The training center offers English, information technology, carpentry, and basket-weaving classes for youth and adults. The recreational center provides activities, such as films, for the enjoyment of Chimundo’s citizens.

Although the community center has the infrastructure to house these activities, such as a pre-school classroom, an after-school classroom, and a building that serves as the training and recreational center, it lacks a sanitary bathroom.

Project Description
This project is to construct a bathroom at the community center. It will be built with cement blocks and a tin roof. It will have facilities for males and females, and will be equipped with basic plumbing.

Project Impact
There are 35 children ranging from 2-5 years old who attend the pre-school every day who will benefit from this project.

In addition the community members who participate in the other areas such as tutoring, carpentry class, English lessons, and information technology classes will also benefit from the project.

The total number will be 100 persons who directly benefit, and all of the 5,500 inhabitants of Chimundo will benefit indirectly.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Gracey Uffman

Comments
The construction of an appropriate bathroom will greatly help the caretakers of the pre-school to better provide for the children of the center. In addition, the persons participating in the other activities at the center will also benefit from the sanitary facilities.

This project satisfies a critical basic need at a very low cost.

Dollar Amount of Project
$499.00

Donations Collected to Date
$85.00

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
$414.00

Community Description
Located in Rwanda’s volcanic Northern Province, Busogo Sector is nestled beneath a seemingly endless series of rolling green hills, striking volcanoes and fields of local crops and livestock. Although Busogo is situated in close proximity to Virunga National Park, which is home to Rwanda’s mountain gorillas and Rwanda’s primary tourist attraction, the region remains largely unvisited by tourists, and the vast majority of the population lacks consistent access to electricity and potable water.

Although Rwanda’s Northern Province receives abundant rainfall, Busogo’s population currently has no means to access clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing and performing other household duties. Due to frequent flooding, poor drainage and irrigation systems and a shortage of localized water pumps and rainwater storage tanks, Busogo features some of the country’s highest prevalence of neglected tropical diseases such as Trichura trichuris (whipworm), Ascaris lumbricoides (large intestinal roundworms) and hookworm. While not fatal, these ailments are a significant cause of morbidity, taking away both from economic productivity and the ability of children to attend school.

Busogo Health Center serves a community of 36,784 people, most of whom are small-scale and subsistence farmers. The health center offers a wide variety of services, including maternal health and delivery, general consultation for children and adults, family planning, vaccination, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV, distribution of ARV drugs, a nutrition program for mild and severe child malnutrition cases and a community health worker program that enables the health center to sensitize the community and monitor health trends. The center sees between 150-200 patients a day and delivers an average of 60 babies each month.

Busogo Health Center’s staff is highly motivated and well-organized, and provides quality care with very limited resources. Although Busogo Health Center has electricity throughout the center and running water in its maternity section, VCT center and administrative offices, it desperately requires running water in its consultation and pharmacy areas.

In addition to maternity, the health center’s consultation rooms are the most highly utilized spaces by patients in the center. At present, the health center’s staff is forced to use stagnant water from buckets for their daily needs and procedures.

Project Description
This project will connect the health center’s consultation and pharmacy rooms to the central water source. The consultation rooms and pharmacy distribution room are already equipped with sinks, so project funds will go toward obtaining and installing the necessary pipes, and building a sink in the pharmacy stock room.

Project Impact
The entire sector of Busogo, comprised of 36,784 people, will benefit from this project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Jessica McGhie

Comments
We like to undertake follow-up projects, as they build on successes. This is Jessica’s second project, and is similar to her first, the Bisate Health Center Water Project – Rwanda

The addition of running water to the consultation and pharmacy rooms of the clinic is a critical step toward ensuring quality care within a sanitary environment

For the hard working employees of Busogo Health Center, completing this water project will enable them to fully concentrate on treating their patients, instead of worrying about obtaining water.

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
Zeala is a small village in the Koulikoro region of Mali, West Africa. It is located approximately 90 kilometers north east of the capital, Bamako.

Zeala has a population of 669 persons. The main language spoken and understood is Bamabara, and not French. There is no hospital, electricity, or running water.

There are 10 wells in Zeala but they are not of good drinking water quality, and will soon run dry in the coming peak of hot season.

There are two pumps in the village that can be used year-round. However, one pump is currently only partially operational and the other cannot provide water.

Project Description
This project is to repair the two pumps in the village and restore them to working condition.

The work will be done through the Mayor’s Office. Each pump will be repaired by replacing the internal workings. In addition, the cement floor and base of each will be replaced, and a soak pit for the elimination of standing water will be installed.

The PCV has started a water and sanitation committee in the village, and they plan to ensure the operation and maintenance of the pump and collect money for future repairs.

Project Impact
The entire population of Zeala, consisting of 669 people, including 357 children, will benefit from this project, since they all use the pumps in the community.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Colleen Naughton

Comments
This project will help to alleviate diarrheal disease by providing clean water, as well as control insect-borne diseases throgh the elimination of standing water. It will ensure a constant safe water source during the dry season, and thus is crucial for the village.

Dollar Amount of Project
$247.00

Donations Collected to Date
$247.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Hope You Like It, "In Honor of Faith, Hope, and Love."

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