Hankan Borehole Project – Guinea

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION.

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

Location
This project summary has been redacted for security reasons to omit the specific project location.

Sxxxxxxxx, Kankan, Haute Region, Guinea

Community Description
Sxxxxxxxx is one of the outermost communities of Kankan, Guinea’s second-largest city. It has approximately 6000 residents. The majority of residents of Sankefara are farmers in the surrounding fields.

The community is subdivided into 5 sectors, each of which has a chef. The community as a whole has a chef du village who oversees the issues which face Sxxxxxxxx.

It is a vast area with a somewhat harsh Sahelian beauty. By being on the edge of what constitutes Kankan it has the best of both worlds, with the potential for access to all the trappings of a larger town that Kankan offers while still maintaining a more uniquely Guinean rural community culture.

Problem Addressed
The school has a well that is no longer functional. The semi-arid climate in Kankancau caused the well to run dry.

Because there is not a pump or well currently at the school, students have to leave class to fill up jerry cans at surrounding pumps. Students have to walk upwards of ten minutes to go to the pump. This takes away valuable time that could be spent learning. Because there is no pump at the school, there is a huge health risk. Students are less likely to consume water throughout the day and wash their hands after using the restroom.

Project Description
This project is to provide clean, safe drinking water for the public primary school in the community through the renovation of an existing well and the installation of a mechanical pump.

The borehole will be extended down to 30 meters from its current depth of 15 meters. The water table in Sxxxxxxxx is most likely unconsolidated sedimentary in nature, but with high productivity.

Project Impact
1,200 people will benefit from the project.

Project Administration
William Bacharach, Peace Corps Volunteer

Monitoring and Maintenance
A sub-committee of the API will be created and run by the APIs treasurer to collect funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the school’s pump. All collected funds will be recorded in the sub-committees logs and stored in a strongbox. The collection of funds for this sub-committee will be on a semester basis. Each family will contribute 5,000 GNF per semester.

The community will oversee all maintenance of the pump. Furthermore, the community will continue to utilize the handwashing resources and training that will be provided to ensure that the behavior change desired is sustainable. PCV Bacharach will ensure this by continuing with training at the school and overseeing that the timeline is adhered to.

Financially, the chief and the school will work in conjunction with the parent organization to ensure that all necessary repairs are taken care of. The parent organization is putting a small fund together that will accumulate monthly. This fund will be held by the treasurer of the parent organization and will only be used to repair the pump.

The pump construction company that the school will be employing is based out of Haute. Therefore, repairs will be easily and conveniently made. This is due to close proximity to Haute and the well-established relationship between the president of the district and the pump construction company.

Comments
This project will greatly impact the one thousand students in attendance, as well as the direction and other teachers. It will reduce the negative health impacts that have been seen and keep girls in school throughout the day.

Project Funding
This project was funded through the generosity of the Schaefer Family Foundation.