Location
Westphalia District, St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Community Description 
Westphalia is a very rural community north of Kingston, Jamaica, in the Blue Mountains. It is home to about 500 people who are primarily farmers of the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.
The community has been largely overlooked in the past 50 years, especially in terms of the water and the road systems. The current water source is a river up in the mountains about 1 1/2 miles away.
There is an existing concrete water catchment system. Water is run through an above-ground 3″ galvanized pipe to the edge of the community.
A project is already underway to rebuild an old storage tank that is currently inoperable. The water is potable, but there is a currently operable chlorination tank, should the need arise for purification.
Westphalia All Age School serves about 75 children from ages 5 to 15. Currently, the students must carry their drinking water to school from a spring about a half mile down the hillside. By the time the children get to school they are often tired, which interferes with their learning.
There a bathroom and pit latrines at the school. Water is needed for drinking, cooking, flushing the toilet, and washing hands.
Project Description
This project is to bring potable water to the Westphalia All Age School.
Piping will be run to connect the galvanized pipe at the edge of the community to the school. Trenches will be dug and the pipe will be buried. The system will be gravity fed.
Project funds will be used to purchase 70 lengths of 1″ PVC pipe, couplings, and glue.
The owner of the catchment and existing piping has given permission for the use of his equipment, and is an active participant in the project.
Community members will provide tools, dig the trench, lay the pipe, and provide transportation of materials. The school will provide the storage of materials.
The work will be overseen by an older, well-respected, community member who is a contractor with experience in building water systems.
Each household in the community will pay a yearly maintenance fee which will support a neighborhood watch type maintenance system.
Project Impact
80 people will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Elizabeth DiCocco
Comments
This project builds upon the existing infrastructure to bring water to the school. It utilizes the great support of the community and the school to create a cost-effective solution to the needs of the students and faculty.
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 Judy and Doug McDonald, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth DiCocco of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Elizabeth and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.