Boustane Diop Latrine Project – Senegal

Location

Boustane Diop, Patar Lia, Gossas, Ouadior, Fatick, Senegal

Community Description
Boustane Diop, one of three rural villages in the Boustane village cluster, is located in the rural community of Patar Lia, district of Gossas, arrondissment of Ouadior, region of Fatick, Senegal.

Boustane Diop has a population of about 100 people, primarily children between the ages of 4-14. It consists of 8 compounds, where 6 of them are centralized in one area and the other two are slightly further out, but not too far.

Boustane Diop is led by a village chief and possesses a “booki” who stands in as a type of “memory keeper” or “secretary”, and a commercant who heads the trading and other transactions.

Boustane Diop, shares many activities and affairs with its larger neighbor Boustane Diaw. For example, the children from Boustane Diop that are able or allowed to go to school will attend the school in Boustane Diaw. Boustane Diop villagers also go to the health clinic at Boustane Diaw for medical purposes and treatments.

Boustane Diop has itself a functioning robine and a well that measures about 60 meters deep. However, the villagers also draw water from the robine in Boustane Diaw.

The people who live in Boustane Diop are subsistence farmers, growing primarily millet, peanuts, and hibiscus during the farming season. A few villagers head out to cities or towns for other work once the farming season is over.

A recent development is that a few of the women in Boustane Diop are learning alphabetization and possibly teaching themselves.

There are only two “functioning” latrines in Boustane Diop, one belonging strictly to the “booki” and another, used by everyone else, in an abandoned school building. Therefore, the majority of villagers, especially the children, will walk into the bush to defecate. Often though, the children defecate directly behind their compounds. This contributes to the oral -fecal cycle, and lowers the overall health of the village.

Project Description
This project will build 7 pit-style, brick-lined latrines in the Boustane Diop.

The project will provide one latrine in each compound. The villagers will dig holes 2 meters by 2 meters by 2 meters deep. Each hole will then be covered by a steel-reinforced concrete slab.

The design of these latrines will provide great stability and protection, especially during the upcoming rainy season as the soil becomes less dense. When one pit fills, the cement platform can simply be lifted and moved on top of a newly dug pit.

Project funds will be used to pay the brick makers and the masons for building the latrines. Also, they will pay for the purchase and transport of the supplies necessary for construction, including cement, rebar, and PVC pipe for ventilation.

The villagers will be responsible for digging their own holes and providing sand and gravel to mix with the cement to make the bricks. They will also pay a set amount as a contribution to the project.

Project Impact
The entire village of approximately 100 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Albert Vang

Comments
Through this project, the sanitary conditions of the village, and consequently the health of the villagers, will be much improved.

Albert previously successfully completed the Boustane Diaw Latrine Project – Senegal.

Dollar Amount of Project
$550.00

Donations Collected to Date
$550.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – 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 Albert of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or other projects in the country of service.

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