Kindirbaev Secondary School Handwashing Station Project – Kyrgyzstan

Location
Barskoon, Jety-Ogyz Rayon, Issyk-Kul Oblast, Kyrgyzstan

Community Description
Barskoon is a village of roughly 7,300 residents living in approximately 2,000 family units located on the south shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. The main sources of income are from growing crops and raising and selling livestock. Some families do have additional income from the major employers in the village. These include Kindirbaev Secondary School, Kumtar Gold Mine, Barskoon’s Hospital, Bakyt Craft Factory, and shops located in the village.

Kindirbaev Secondary School is currently the only secondary school in Barskoon. Over 1,500 students from 1st through 11th-grade study at this school. The school is staffed by 115 teachers and another 30 people who work as support staff.

Currently, the students and staff who spend their days at Kindirbaev 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, cleaning classrooms, and cleaning dishes. Although this has been difficult, staff has made do by collecting water from the public water spout located about 120 meters from the school, which is a source of potable water.

In addition, it has been impossible for the students and staff to wash their hands 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 bring water onto school grounds from the public water source, and also build 4 handwashing stations, to be available for drinking and brushing teeth.

The handwashing stations will be located just outside the school’s main entrance, between the toilets and the door of the school, close to the cafeteria. The water will be gravity fed through an underground pipe from the closest public water spout.

The handwashing station itself will be made of piping and a concrete base. Water will drain to an open cement gutter that will connect to an existing public gutter off the school grounds.

All of the labor for this project will be done by Kindirbaev School staff and students without charge.

The process involves digging the ditch, purchasing and bringing materials from Karakol town to Barskoon village, installing the piping, mixing and laying the cement around the faucets, burying the piping, and finally installing the faucets.

Project funds will be used to purchase the materials, including plastic piping, connectors and corner pieces, faucets, insulation, rope, cement, fence, sand, gravel, wood, nails, and shovels.

Any budgetary shortfall will be borne by the teachers of the school.

Project Impact
This project will benefit 1,645 people, including 1,500 students, 115 teachers, and 30 support staff.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Joanna Ison

Comments
This is an extremely important water supply and hygiene project for Kindirbaev School and Barskoon village. It will have a high impact for the many people who are at the school each day.

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 Stanley Zylowski, of Alexandria, Virginia, USA, with help from friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Joanna Ison.

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

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