Completed

Community Description
Sokone is a small town located in the region of Fatick and department of Foundiougne, in Senegal, West Africa. Sokone has a population of 16,096; and it is divided primarily amongst Serrers (60%), Wolofs (22%), and Diolas (5%).

The town of Sokone has an active women’s group of 30 women called "CercleTakku Leeguey Diamaguene Sokone" which began in 2007. Since establishment, this group has been undertaking projects involving fruit and vegetable transformation, tie-dying, food security, women’s health and education, Wolof language alphabetization and gardening.

The group of 30 women is organized, with a president (Fama Njeng), vice president (Mama Gaye), and treasurer (Nyappale Cisse). They recently started a gardening project with the hopes of ensuring food security for their community.

Project Description
This project is to dig a well to provide water for the community garden, and potable water for use by the rest of the community. The well will be dug by a local man to a depth of eleven meters to ensure year-round access to water. It will be a simple well, incorporating a rope and pulley to retrieve water.

Project funds will be used to pay for materials, including cement, metal support bars, rope, pulley and bucket. In addition, the funds will pay for the transportation of materials as well as the masonry labor required to build the well.

The community will assume the obligation of maintaining the well upon completion.

Project Impact
This project will provide clean water for 30 members of the women’s group, for irrigation of the community garden. In addition, it will provide potable water for the Diammageune neighborhood of Sokone, which encompasses approximately 1,000 people.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Laura Coberly

Comments
This well will provide food security for the women participating, and will provide drinking water for the surrounding neighborhood. It produces a high impact at an extremely low cost.

Sustainability will be ensured through the control and maintenance of the well by an active community group.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Matthew Krzyston, of Delhi, New Your, USA

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

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

Community Description
Baan Nong Hai Village is a small, agricultural community located in Maha Sarakham Province in the Northeastern region of Thailand. The surrounding area is a plain covered with rice fields.

Nearly 90% of the people in the community are rice farmers. Because it is so hot and dry in Baan Nong Hai, farmers only plant rice once a year and rely on other sources of income throughout the year, such as mushroom and tobacco growing.

According to the local government office in Baan Nong Hai, the average income is $1,300 USD per year. While the village is very rural and poor, there is a strong sense of community, with close family relationships and active community groups.

Wat Potaram Pre-School is one of two pre-school centers in the area. The school serves 75 students, ages 3-5, each year, with 5 teachers. Currently there is only one small, old bathroom, in which the students use and bathe in each day.

The pre-school is located on the grounds of Potaram Temple. Religion and Buddhist traditions play a very important role in the lives of the villagers, so this temple and pre-school are frequently used for community events as well as learning.

Project Description
This project is to renovate the bathroom at Wat Potaram Pre-School. The renovation will include a new toilet, water basin for bathing, a separate sink for hand washing, and a place to put soap and sanitizer.

Currently, students use the same basin of water for washing hands, flushing the toilet, and bathing. There is minimal drainage so the floor is very wet and full of water. Conditions adverse to proper hygiene and sanitation will be remediated.

Project Impact
75 children and 5 teachers will directly benefit from the project. In addition, the whole community will benefit during community events.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Heather Chadwick

Comments
A heavily-used bathroom that is lacking facilities and equipment, and is currently unsanitary, will be renovated to serve the school and the community. This is another high-impact, low-cost, project that will serve large numbers of people. It will reduce disease by creating hygienic conditions for years to come.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded through the generosity of Jonathan Kazmierczyk, of Arlington Virginia, USA, and Patricia Chadwick, of Fargo, North Dakota, USA.

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

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

Community Description
Kham Deuay Village is a small, rural community located in Amnat Charoen Province, in Northeast Thailand, about 25 kilometers inland from the Mekong River. It is situated about 25 km southwest of the Thai-Lao border and 150 km north of Ubon Ratchathani.

The village population consists of approximately 2,000 people out of 10,000 living in the surrounding Sub-District area. 100% of the 157 households in the village work in agriculture, primarily focusing on rice and cassava.

The community's income per capita is THB 33,183 (USD $1,000), according to the Sub-District Administrative Office's Socioeconomic Baseline Data. This is less than 30% of the national income per capita.

While Kham Deuay suffers economic hardships, the village prides itself in its traditions and unity. Kham Dueay is a Phuthai community and is home to many unique customs and celebrations. Additionally, the village is home to several majestic forest temples and ecotourism venues.

Kham Deuay is certainly endowed with special resources, but local irrigation and plumbing are not as developed as in the majority of the country. These infrastructural problems obstruct the community from reaching its economic potential.

Project Description
The Kham Deuay Village Learning Center is the central meeting location in the village. Local occupational groups and schools gather there for trainings and cultural activities.

The chief complaint lodged by community members and visitors is the lack of a sanitary, functioning restroom facility in the learning center. The current bathroom facility is unable to draw water from the local reservoir, as it lacks a water pump and necessary plumbing. It currently relies on rainwater, which is insufficient.

Also, the faucets at the handwashing station have been completely unusable for many years. Visitors do not have a place to wash their hands before and after lunch breaks at the learning center.

This project is to install a pump and necessary piping, and repair the handwashing stations at this bathroom.

Project funds will be used to purchase the water pump, PVC piping, PVC joints, construction tape, and faucets for the renovation of this facility. These improvements will make the Learning Center a more sanitary place for villagers and a more appealing destination for visitors to the area.

Project Impact
The entire population of Kham Deuay, approximately 2,000 villagers, will benefit from this project. Additionally, these facilities will be used by tourists and citizens of other villages within the Sub-District during special activities.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kent Elliott

Comments
This project brings water to a widely-used community center. It will have broad impact, contributing to the public health of an entire community.

It builds upon existing but nonfunctional facilities in the building, and has a great impact for a minimal budget.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts and Spas 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 Kent Elliott of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Kent and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Thailand.

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