This project, to improve the water supply system and build a storage tank in Shisong, Northwest Region, Cameroon, has been completed under the direction of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Patrick McCarville. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
Patrick reports:
When I arrived in Shisong in 2009 as a Peace Corps Volunteer the community had already identified the lack of clean potable water as a serious community issue. The Shisong Water Association was formed to address the problem and work began on building a system to collect water and move it to the village through 8.4 km of newly laid pipes.
Once the system was installed and freshwater was available in the village, the next phase was to build a storage tank to allow for expansion of the system and to ensure that water would be available in the dry season. Water Charity funds provided the needed funds to complete the project.
The inhabitants of Shisong village and surrounding villages have worked hard on this phase of the water project and have completed the construction of the water storage tank. The tank is estimated to hold 30,000 cubic liters of water.
The technical construction was done by a team of experts from the Social Welfare Department from the Bishop’s House in Kumbo Diocese. The inhabitants of Shisong took it as their duty to assist in the project by transporting by hand or on their heads the construction material like sand, planks, poles, gravel and stone to the building site. The village of Shisong mobilized over the course of the four weeks 450 men, women and youths who came to the site to assist the skilled laborers in the work.
In addition, the neighborhoods created a rotating cooking schedule to supply food and water to all workers each day. The Shisong Water Management Association management team supplemented the community contributions by renting a house for the builders to stay in Shisong during construction so as to facilitate their work by reducing the distance to the worksite.
The water from the completed system will serve a community of 7,500 women and men as well as, two nursery schools. The community gives special thanks to the donors to date who provided the financial support that allowed the community, through its own efforts, to build this critically needed water system.
We are grateful to Patrick for his dedication, returning to his community after Peace Corps service, to complete this excellent project.
We are still accepting donations for this project.
