Fitaba Garden Water Basin Project – Senegal

 

Fitaba is a small village approximately 15 km from the district capital of Saray by the bush path. The road connecting the two is passable only by motorcycle or bicycle.

 

The gardens of Fitaba are limited by the time it takes to transport water.  Poor roads and great distances from water sources make bringing water for the crops a difficult task.  As the seasonal wetland and hand-dug wells dry up, usable space is limited by access to the year-round cement well, the only permanent water source.

Detailed Project Description:
This project entails the installation of a basin system in the community gardens of a local town.

 

The project will serve the gardening group Teesiito (Patience) in the village of Fitaba. The gardens are already impressive with men and women from every household involved.  Mangos, guavas, limes, and bananas are integrated with traditional market vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, onion, and okra.

 

The community will cut bricks, collect sand and gravel for concrete, and transport all materials.  The community will contribute the equivalent of 30% of the project costs.

Project Impact:
Over 100 current users of the community garden.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project:
Adam Regula

Monitoring and Maintenance:
Head of the group, Marikee Danfakha, will monitor and maintain the inflow and outflow of the basins.

Comments:
Construction of the basin will reinforce the already good work going on, allow for the expansion of the gardening area, and allow for gardening deeper into the dry season when benefits to diet and income will be most dramatic. In addition, it will continue to foster an excellent relationship between area volunteers and the community, and allow the space to be used for demonstrations and training. As the existing garden augments household nutrition and income, current membership will expand, improving the economic prospects of the villagers.

This project is part of our ongoing Western Africa Water & Sanitation Program.

Fundraising Goal for Project:
$330

Donations Collected to Date:
$330

Dollar Amount Needed:
$0 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of Year 6 students from Hua Mao Multicultural Academy, Ningbo, China

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