This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Stephanie McAlexander. The project was designed to build 15 household latrines. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
A summary of Stephane’s report is as follows:
We completed 15 latrines in Goundage and Lewngewal. The community contributed 500 cfa and dug the holes for their own latrines. We hired a mason to construct the rebar and cement heads for the latrines.
The people gathered their materials and dug their holes, and the mason from the village worked tirelessly day after day to finish his job. It was quite the nice surprise.
Health PCV Barbara Michel helped conduct WASH trainings in conjunction with the latrines. The people were excited about amidst the Ebola scare. Barbara put glitter on her hand and shook one person’s hand to show how infectious disease spreads. The shaking of hands continued until everyone had ‘Ebola’ glitter hands. It’s such an easy concept and may seem childish to teach to a group of adults, but the materials are incredibly helpful in showing what we can’t quite explain with our language.
They then went over to a ‘tippy tap’ we built to wash their hands. The tippy tap is a 20-liter jug of water suspended on rope between two poles with more rope attached to a foot pedal below. When you step on the stick pedal, the jug tips over and you’re able to wash your hands without touching anything. Everyone was really excited about it and eager to build their own.
We are grateful to Stephanie for completing this project, helping 650 people build sanitation facilities and teaching important health concepts. We again thank The Holistic Light for providing the funding.