This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Matthew Gardine. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to dig pit latrines for 10 residential compounds.
Matthew reports:
The latrine project in Saly Escale was a success.
Though implementing the program took longer than anticipated, the project was executed successfully after we found a mason who would be willing to meet the labor wage that would be covered by the Appropriate Projects funds available to us.
In February 2011, the community decided that they would be able to supply twenty local family compounds with their first pit latrines. Appropriate Projects funds would cover the purchase of one ton of cement (enough for twenty latrine covers), rebar for twenty latrine covers (with a little extra to account for any unforeseen assembly errors), leaving a balance of approximately $ 185.00[US] to be divided evenly among the compounds building latrines for the payment of the mason.
The cost of each individual latrine’s labor came to about $9.00[US]. Construction tools did not need to be purchased for this project as they had already been procured for the village’s earlier well project.
We began the building process by asking the community’s leadership committee to devise a system in which any compound desiring a latrine would be expected to make their own individual contribution by digging their own three meter latrine pit. This system provided a minimum “buy-in” for the project allowing for only the most dedicated families to be considered as first round recipients of the Appropriate Projects funding.
With all of the materials purchased and the requisite number of pits dug, our task turned to locating a mason who would be willing to: (1) Cut the iron reinforcement bars, (2) Shape them into the web that would serve as the latrine cover’s “skeleton”, and (3) Pour the cement “skin” on the rebar, at a wage of $9.00[US] per latrine cover. At long last, we found a mason who was willing to construct covers at the stated wage and work commenced in June 2011.
With the funds from ‘Appropriate Projects,’ the village of Saly Escale was able to help the maximum number of families by providing twenty of them with private pit latrines where there had been none before.
We wish to thank Matthew for completing this project, and again extend our gratitude to The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding.
