To read about the beginning of this project, Click HERE.
This project was completed on schedule and within budget, under the awesome leadership of Peace Corps Volunteer Maggie Pavelka.
Here are the details:
Project duration: 36 days
Budget breakdown:
-Materials – 120 850CFA = $269.96
(15 bags cement, 20 bars rebar, 2kg wire, pulley, rope, bucket)
-Labor – 100 000CFA = $223.45
-Total – $493.41 ($1.59 unused)
Maggie reports:
Transportation of materials from Kolda (regional capital) to Thiewal Lao (approximately 80km) was generously donated by a local road construction company. This donation made the project possible within the $500 budget limit.
A local mason, Kindi Balde, was contracted to both dig and finish the well at the newly completed health post in Thiewal Lao. He began work on August 22 and finished September 28. During this time Kindi became sick and was rushed to the closest health facility (18km away) where he was diagnosed with Malaria.Thankfully, he recovered completely and only lost five days on the project. Several Thiewal Lao villagers donated their time as well to keep the project on schedule. Kindi also worked through Ramadan, a 30 day period of fasting practiced by Muslim cultures.
The health post building and the well are now done. The facility is ready to open in November, when the doctor finishes his training and is appointed to our village.
Maggie further reports on the impact of the project and the gratitude of the community:
THANK YOU again for your support and understanding throughout the project. Our facility will very literally save lives and providing clean, accessible water was imperative.
Appropriate Projects made building the health post well the EASIEST part of this project thus far (and for that I am so grateful!!)
The people in my village and the surrounding villages have been waiting for this facility to open for YEARS now and it is FINALLY within reach. Its impact will be immediate.They are willing to do the work necessary to improve their lives, which in turn has allowed me to tackle such grand projects as a rural health post during my service.
This project has a postscript. (Don’t you love postscripts?) After the above was posted, Maggie, in thanking the donor for making the project possible, reported the following:
After I sent Appropriate Projects the final email, I returned to Thiewal Lao to find the well had been modified… in the best of ways! The mason had saved one bag of cement and while I was gone, surprised me and my village by fully enclosing the top of the well and adding a drop door. This will make the well water exponentially cleaner, especially in the dry, windy months. We had talked about doing this from the beginning, but didn’t think we could fit it in the budget. They made it work!
This terrific project was made possible by the generosity of W.I., of Carlsbad, California, USA, who adopted this project. If you are impressed with what was accomplished with $495, please follow his lead and ADOPT A PROJECT.