Eshmanbet School Water Project – Kyrgyzstan

Location
Kirk Kazik Village, Talas Rayon, Talas Oblast, Kyrgyzstan

Community Description
Kirk Kazik is a village of 5,448 residents living in approximately 300 family units. The main sources of income are from school or fieldwork.

This village has one school, the Eshmanbet School, for all school-age children. There are 578 students from 1st through 11th grades. The school is staffed with 46 teachers and 15 other people who work as support staff.

Currently, the students and staff who spend their days at Eshmanbet School do not have running water on the property. Lack of running water presents many challenges for the school, including inadequate water for drinking, cooking, washing hands, and cleaning dishes. Although this has been difficult, staff has made do by collecting water from the public water spout, a source of potable water, located about 100 meters from the school.

The main inconvenience for students and staff is hand washing throughout the school day. As most eat at the school cafeteria and use the restrooms at school, this presents a big hygiene problem for the students and staff.

Project Description
This project is to create a method of bringing water to the school and storing it for use in the school’s kitchen. This will greatly aid in the process of cooking and cleaning for the students and staff.

In addition, this project will build three handwashing stations, to be available for drinking and hygiene purposes.

The school will purchase three fifteen-liter buckets for kitchen water storage, to be used for cooking and cleaning purposes.

The handwashing stations will be located in the school’s cafeteria. They will consist of a pot for clean water from which three faucets draw the water, and a basin below where the dirty water drains. The dirty water basin will be emptied by students on duty as often as it fills.

The stations will be built of wood, in addition to the metal water containers, faucets, and sink bed. They will be built by a Kirk Kazik local.

Project funds will be used to purchase the materials to build the sinks (including boards, hinges, faucets, hose, nails, screws, sink bed, sealer, and pails) and the buckets for the kitchen.

Any budgetary shortfall will be borne by the school.

Project Impact
This project will benefit 639 people, including the 578 students, 46 teachers and 15 other employees.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Claire Oyler

Comments
This is a low-tech solution to an urgent need for safe water at the school. It will have widespread benefits in reducing illness and improving the well-being of all of those who spend their days at the school.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of the SLOW LIFE Foundation as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative, with the help of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Claire Oyler.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Claire of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Claire and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.



This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.