Location
Prey K’Cheeay village, Chum Kiri district, Kampot Province, Cambodia
Community Description
Chum Kiri was founded in 1993, and is the newest and poorest district in the southern province of Kampot. It was one of the first areas captured by Khmer Rouge forces in the early 1970s and Pol Pot’s followers did not concede defeat in the area until 1998.
In the 25-plus years that the Khmer Rouge were in control, all schools were closed. Since the area was re-integrated, a high school, 2 lower secondary schools, and 14 primary schools have been built, but due to the prolonged hostilities in the region, development has been extraordinarily slow compared to other districts in Kampot province.
The majority of families survive on subsistence agriculture and, until recently, few had ventured outside of the district due to the decrepit road conditions.
Within the past two years, two major road projects have dramatically increased access to the district. With this new access, the district is seeing an influx of new residents and schools are seeing an increased enrollment.
Problem Addressed
Prey K’Cheeay Primary School is located on the same grounds as Prey K’Cheeay Lower Secondary School. A latrine was recently completed on the school grounds under the Prey K’Cheeay Primary and Lower Secondary School Latrine Project – Cambodia, which helped alleviate the shortage of facilities.
However, the school grounds are a long narrow piece of ground. The primary school is located at one end of the grounds, while the lower secondary school is located at the other. The new latrines were placed on the far side of the lower secondary school from the primary school. This distance (100 to 150 meters)from the primary classrooms, as well as some shy students’ reluctance to venture past the older students, has resulted in many primary students still resorting to urinating and defecating in the bushes, rather than using the new toilets.
Project Description
This project is to expand the sanitation capacity at the school by building a stand-alone latrine with two toilets.
Construction will be done by the same contractor who built previous latrine and water tank projects funded by Water Charity.
The latrine annex will be constructed of stuccoed brick with a metal roof.
Water will primarily be provided by cisterns that will catch the rain runoff, supplemented by water from the school’s well when needed.
The toilets will be of the standard concrete vault type that is used throughout rural Cambodia.
Unskilled labor, such as digging the pit, will be completed by the staff at the school, and by local villagers. Brick and stonework will be performed by skilled concrete workers who will be paid using Water Charity funds.
Project funds will also be used to purchase the needed concrete, bricks, doors, toilet basins, roofing, and other materials.
Project Impact
480 students and 16 staff members will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Bruce Kelsey
Comments
This is an example of the effectiveness of the Appropriate Project model of completing small projects very quickly, and emulating the successes with follow-up projects. The new latrine will further improve the health and wellbeing of students and staff.
Bruce previously completed the Hun Sen Ang Chak High School Latrine Project – Cambodia, the Samarky Primary School Well Project – Cambodia, the Angmotreysatram Primary School Latrine Project – Cambodia, the Ang Chak High School Well Project – Cambodia, the Prey K’Cheeay Primary and Lower Secondary School Latrine Project – Cambodia, the Angmotreysatram Primary School Water Project – Cambodia, the Ang Chak High School Rainwater Storage Project – Cambodia, Ang Andet Primary School Latrine and Pump Project – Cambodia, and the Angmotreysatram Primary School Rainwater Storage Project – Cambodia.
This breaks by five the record for the number of projects completed in partnership with Water Charity by a serving Peace Corps Volunteer.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00 + additional amounts
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Bruce Kelsey, with additional amounts for future projects.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Bruce of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Bruce and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.