Conclusion of Lycee de Kounkane Latrine Project – Senegal

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Geoffrey Burmeister.

To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

The project was to build two latrines behind the classrooms at the Kounkane Lycee.

Geoffrey reports:

As the school year was already in session and students and teachers were threatening to strike over the lack of toilet facilities, the lycee administration convinced the mason to begin construction right away. The toilets were completed in early January, 2012.

Appropriate Projects funds were used to purchase cement, rebar, sand, gravel, zinc sheets, and wooden beams for the construction of the chambers and septic tanks, and also to pay for the mason to construct the septic tanks.

The lycee provided PVC piping to connect the chambers to and aerate the septic tanks, as well as the turkish toilet seats. The lycee also paid for labor for the construction of the chambers. The lycee will also provide buckets for storing water to flush the toilets.

The latrines for students are housed in a 3.5 m by 2 m building with reinforced cement walls. The two chambers (each 1.5 m by 1.5 m) are separated by a cement wall and are aerated. The building has a zinc roof and zinc doors. PVC piping connects the stalls to an underground septic tank approximately 1 m from the chambers. The tank is 3 m deep, 1.5 m long, and 1.5 m wide, and is lined with rebar-reinforced cement and aerated with PVC piping.

The latrine for faculty is housed in a 2 m by 2 m building with reinforced concrete walls. Like the latrine for students, the building has zinc roof and zinc doors. PVC piping connects the stall to an underground septic tank approximately 1 m from the chamber, which is 3 m deep, 1.5 m long, and 1.5 m wide, and lined with rebar-reinforced cement and aerated with PVC piping.

As the septic tanks are lined with reinforced cement, these toilets should last for several years to come. In addition, the lycee has tasked the local guard with cleaning the toilets at least once per week during the school year.

Upon completion of the project and receipt of the funds, the principal and facilities managers of the lycee, Mamadou Ndiaye and Adama Diouf respectively, wished to thank Appropriate Projects for financing the project, and were very happy that Peace Corps could collaborate with Appropriate Projects to help the lycee construct toilets for students and faculty.

Geoffrey’s description validates the model of providing resources immediately to resolve a critical problem. We are grateful to Geoffrey for guiding the lycee in carrying out this project, and again wish to thank The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding.