Location
Chargel, Upper Fuladu West District, Central River Region-South Bank, The Gambia
Community Description
Chargel is a small rural village in The Gambia with a population of approximately 600 people. The people are a combination of Fula and Mandinka ethnicities. Most of them make their livelihoods through farming millet, sorghum, peanuts and corn in the rainy season and by tending cattle, sheep, and goats.
The village is 11 kilometers off the road from the nearest town and market. Poverty is a daily struggle for these people but the most devastating consequence is their malnutrition, especially for the children.
There are approximately 150 women in the women’s group who want to be able to grow vegetables year-round and not just in the rainy season. The garden is just behind the village and is too far from the closed well in the village, which is used for drinking water.
The garden is 115 meters by 50 meters and is well fenced. The women grow a large variety of vegetables including bitter tomato, tomato, eggplant, onion, carrot, cassava, yam, Irish potato and sweet potato, with plans to introduce new vegetables, such as cucumber.
A live fence is planned for the coming rainy season to strengthen the current fence. The garden will contain a moringa-intensive bed. The moringa leaves are very nutritious and the trees grow very rapidly.
Project Description
This project is to build a well in the community garden.
The well will be hand dug and lined with cement, with the shaft about 1.5 meters in diameter.
Although the depth of the water table is currently about 14 meters, it is anticipated that the workers will have to dig down to as much as 20 meters to ensure that water is still available during the dry season.
The well will have a concrete lip at the surface and a basic pulley system. Water will be drawn using buckets and rope.
The work will be done by two experienced well diggers, one who lives in Chargel and the other in the next village.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase supplies, including cement and iron rods.
Men with donkey and horse carts will help transport the supplies from the nearest town, about 12 kilometers away, to which there is no road. The women will help cook and fetch drinking water for the workers.
Project Impact
All 600 people in the village will benefit from improved nutrition resulting from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Megan Stroebel
Comments
This project will allow the women to garden year-round, and not solely in the rainy season. As a result, variety and nutrients will be added to the diets of the villagers. In addition, the women will be able to generate income for their families through the sale of produce.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00 + additional funds
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of Randolph Philipp of San Diego, CA, USA. Additional funds for future projects have been donated by friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Megan Stroebel.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Megan of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Megan and/or those of other PCVs in The Gambia.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.