Fass Kahone Well Improvement Project – Senegal

Location
Fass Kahone, Kolda Region, Senegal

Community Description
Fass Kahone is a small town of approximately 150 residents, located approximately 20 km north of the national highway in the southern region of Kolda, Senegal. It is divided into 15 family compounds, with a population of 20% adult males, 28% adult female, 28% boys and 24% girls.

The village is primarily Pulaar speaking, with primary economic dependence on subsistence farming, some sale of crops and vegetables, and small business ventures. The primary agricultural outputs are corn, millet, peanuts, cotton and rice.

There are currently four wells in the village. Of these four, only one has a pulley and none have completed well heads, leaving them susceptible to surface run off and collapse.

All four of the wells are simple, hand-dug, unlined pits. They reach an average depth of 15-20 meters, with the water table highly variable throughout the year. As they are, the wells present a danger of physical injury, as well as diarrheal disease, due to contamination.

Project Description
This project is to improve 4 wells in Fass Kahone.

Construction will include the reinforcement of well openings to prevent collapse, creation of 100 cm high cement well heads, and installation of pulleys.

The cement work will be done by a local mason from Fass Kahone. All work will be coordinated by the PCV community counterpart in Fass Kahone, Mr. Oumar Balde.

Project funds will be used for the purchase of materials, including cement, pulleys, and bleach. The village will pay for the labor of the mason.

The communities will provide sand, rocks, water and transportation of materials to the various sites. The materials will be purchased in Dabo by the PCV and the community counterpart.

Following construction, all wells will be sanitized with bleach and communities will be given short lessons on the importance of good sanitation and hygiene practices, including continual well bleaching and hand washing with soap.

Within the next year, the community will raise money for the purchase and installation of wooden covers for each of the four wells.

Project Impact
150 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Sharon Forstbauer

Comments
This is a high-impact project that will greatly improve the existing infrastructure and have a significant public health impact. Installation of well heads and well covers will greatly decrease the risks of physical injury and disease due to contamination.

Dollar Amount of Project
$350.00

Donations Collected to Date
$350.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation with the help of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Sharon Forstbauer.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Sharon. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV 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.