This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren Browne.
To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to install a water tank, connect it to 5 faucets inside the bathrooms, and renovate an outside handwashing station.
Lauren reports:
Scope of the Project
Financial help from Appropriate Projects paid for all the materials needed to ensure that the school has access to water throughout the entire school year. Funds were also used to fix the broken toilets. The skilled labor was contributed for a fair price and paid for by Appropriate Projects as well.A 450-liter deposit tank was placed inside the bathroom and connected to the existing faucets throughout the school. Broken faucets were replaced with new, high-quality faucets. Drainage was added to the outdoor hand washing station in order to make those faucets usable. Plastic bins were bought to store water. In addition, all the broken parts of the toilet-flushing mechanisms were replaced with new sets.
Now, the 35 students and 2 teachers will have easier access to water. This will ensure that all the students are able to practice the necessary healthy habits, such as washing their hands after using the bathroom and before eating the school snack, in addition to brushing their teeth after snack.
How the Work Progressed
I went to the store with the mason, the school principal, and the other teacher to buy the vast majority of the materials on May 8, 2012. The materials were delivered to the school on May 9th, and the masons initiated their work on May 10th.On May 10th and 11th, one mason installed the plastic deposit tank above the toilets in the bathroom. He made the necessary plumbing connections from the tank to the faucets of the school, including those of the bathroom, kitchen, and outside handwashing station. He also installed the needed faucets.
On May 12th and 14th, the mason replaced the broken flushing mechanisms of the 6 existing toilets with new sets. On the 15th, another mason installed the main drainage tubes of the outdoor hand washing station and connected them to the existing school drainage. He also placed new tiles on the bathroom sinks.
In total, the masons worked 5 days. Funds from Appropriate Projects paid both the masons (500 Q).
The rest of the funds were used to buy one large and three small sturdy plastic bins to store water, as well as a hose, in order to bring the water from the outdoor faucet to the bin that will be placed inside the kitchen. 2 small bins will be placed inside the bathrooms and used for handwashing and toilet-flushing, and the other small bin will be used for mop-cleaning purposes. The large bin will be used to collect and store water outside.
End Result
The funds from Appropriate Projects paid for the additional water tank, all the materials needed to make the plumbing connections to the school’s faucets, new faucets, tiles, toilet-flushing sets, plastic bins to store water, transportation of the materials, and the skilled labor. We were able to achieve above and beyond our goals with the donated funds.We wound up having to buy a smaller deposit tank than originally planned due to the size of the bathroom doors. In addition, as it turns out, the metal security door over the handwashing station was deemed unnecessary. The robberies of past faucets had occurred when the school did not have fencing around it. Since the circulation project, they have not had issues with theft. Therefore, those funds were redirected to fixing the broken toilets.
We are grateful to Lauren for completing this great project, her third in partnership with Water Charity, and again extend our thanks to The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding.
