Dolon Medical Care Facility Water System Project – Kyrgyzstan

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION. 

Location
Dolon, Tup Rayon, Issyk Kul Oblast, Kyrgyzstan

Community Description

Dolon is a small village in North-East Issyk-Kul, with 1,160 residents.

Problem Addressed
The only medical care facility in the village does not have running water.

The medical care facility (FAP), and 1 medical care provider, in Dolon village serves the needs of the entire community. On any given day, the medical care provider will treat 55-60 patients, about 1,800 patients per month. Most of these patients come from within the village, with some coming from the neighboring village of Kosh-Dobo. In, 2011, Dolon (and Kosh-Dobo) was granted with a clean water system–a large well, water treatment facility, water tower, and pipes that connect almost every home to the system.

Due to an unresolved budget, the FAP never received access to this water system. The cleanliness of the facility is in question, as well as the hygiene of the medical care provider.

Nurses go from inserting IVs, to treating children, most of the time without washing their hands. With clean, running water, the FAP will be able to ensure the cleanliness of the building, and improve the hygiene and sanitation of the medical care provided, potentially decreasing the spread illness and disease.

Project Description
The project includes providing access to the existing water system by digging trenches, connecting pipes, installing a septic tank, and installing a sink and water heater inside a small room at the FAP. To provide the FAP access to the water, a trench will be dug 97 meters long, 1 meter across, and 1.8 meters deep, from the nearest large water pipe (under the road 97 meters away) to the FAP.

In this trench a small 15 millimeter diameter pipe will be placed that will carry water from the larger pipe to the water heater inside the FAP. In the trench, there will be a large cement cylinder in place vertically, like a  manhole (where the small water pipe will run through), inside of which the water to the FAP can be shut off in case of leaks or damage. Additionally, a septic tank will be installed. The septic tank will be 50 meters away, connected to the sink with a 50 millimeter diameter pipe. The water from the sink will drain into the septic, and the septic tank will be emptied 3 or 4 times per year, by a company in the rayon center of Tup, called Komkoz.

Inside the FAP, we will be installing a water heater and sink. The water heater holds 30 liters of water and will be hung on the wall, directly connecting to the porcelain sink.

Trench digging labor will be provided, free of charge, from the clean water organization ERBAKO. ERBAKO has access to a tractor for excavating and digging trenches. They all have experience in this kind of construction. The organization has also promised to continue repair and maintenance of the system after the funds have been depleted. The local medical care provider will assist during the process as well.
When construction is completed, the local Peace Corps Volunteer and her local counterpart will give a few seminars on the importance of clean water, hygiene, and sanitation to community members. The seminars will be conducted at the FAP, so community members can see the improvements first hand. The seminars given will be about the importance of clean water, water-borne illnesses, and using water as preventative medicine.

Project Impact
1,160 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Stephanie Wolodkin

Monitoring and Maintenance

The health care provider will monitor the condition of the system, and ERBAKO will provide any maintenance needed.

Comments

This is an important project project for the facility and will enable services for the community at large.

Fundraising Goal For Project
$1,400

Donations Collected to Date
$1,400

Dollar Amount Needed
$0 – This project has been funded by Adrian and Kim Jacobs with help from QSI Bishkek International School 5th Grade Class (which donated $475) and other friends and family of Stephanie.

Additional donations will go to future projects in Kyrgyzstan.