This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer William Toerpe. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to renovate the bathroom at the center by repairing piping and installing toilets and two sinks.
William reports:
We have finished the project and I would like to explain to you the process and the final outcome, provide commentary from the community, and show you a few pictures of the new bathroom at the Melitopol Cultural Center.
Upon receiving the funds from Appropriate Projects we went straight to work. A plumber and three gentlemen that work at the Melitopol Cultural Center worked together to remove the old broken toilet structures and the leaking pipes. The director of the Cultural Center, a repairman, and I went together to purchase the new squat toilets, floor tiles, concrete, pipes and sinks from a local store that sells household and repair items. Two repairmen transported this material back to the Cultural Center.
Over the next two weeks the three workers and the professional plumber worked to install the new equipment. They encountered minor problems with the plumbing because of the way that the pipes wrapped around the room, behind the wall. In the end they managed to fix the problem and get the new pipes installed.
Once all of the new equipment was installed and water was flowing, everything worked fantastically. The pipes no longer leak, there is no longer water all over the floor of the bathroom, people can wash their hands in the new sinks and the toilets function properly.
A week and half after everything was finished I went to the Cultural Center to take pictures of the results and talk with the staff and visitors. Visitors indicated how happy they were about the new toilets, their ability to wash their hands in the new sinks, and that the floor was no longer all wet. One of the clubs in the Cultural Center is the Youth Art Club that creates different arts and crafts. They presented me with a small, creative beaded flower portrait set to an orange piece of cloth. On the back they wrote that Melitopol thanks me for fixing their toilets. The staff and visitors also wanted to send their thanks to you and Appropriate Projects.
One picture I have sent you shows the staff and me toasting to the completion of the project. The director and the staff are very happy and grateful that they had the opportunity to do this project and commented on how they feel this project brought them closer to other organizations and solidified new partnerships in the community, especially between the NGO Ridne Misto Melitopol and the Melitopol Cultural Center. The project also developed the project design and management skills of the staff of both organizations that had to consider the logistics, costs, and how the project would be managed and implemented.
This project has been a great success and the community has gained not only a new sanitary bathroom but has advanced the skill set of some of its residents.
We wish to thank William for completing this project, and again extend our gratitude to The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding.
