Location
Weinde, Birkilane District, Kaffrine Region, Senegal
Community Description
Weinde is a small rural community in the Kaffrine region of Senegal. There are 70 households in the village and an estimated population of 1,500. All community members participate in smallholder farming; only a few community members have significant other sources of income.
Problem Addressed
Currently, only half (35) of the households in the community have a latrine. On average, there are 42 community members to each latrine in the village. Because of the high use of the existing latrines, even those built within the last few years are quickly filling and need to be replaced. Eight households report frequently defecating in the open.
A lack of proper hygiene practices contributes to the high frequency and incidence of diarrheal diseases in the community.
Project Description
This project is to build 50 latrines in the village and to implement a comprehensive hygiene campaign.
The project, known in Wolof as “Andal Setal Sunu Dekk,” (Join Us-Clean Up Our Village) aims to improve local hygiene and sanitation.
The latrines will be built through PEPAM, a local latrine-building project. PEPAM builds flushing latrines in villages for the subsidized price of 15,000 cfa per latrine.
A team of masons will be hired to go to the village, where they dig the pits and assemble the latrines.
A comprehensive hygiene campaign whose aim is to increase the frequency of hygienic behaviors, such as hand washing, among villagers, will be implemented.
Community members who participate in the hygiene aspect of the project will be given a voucher for 5,000 cfa toward their latrine; the family is responsible for paying the remaining 10,000 cfa.
To receive a voucher, community members must attend a hygiene sensitization and handwashing demonstration. One male and one female member of each participating household must demonstrate proper handwashing techniques. Soap must be placed inside the latrine and a latrine cover must be ready to use.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase materials.
The community will pay 2/3 of the cost of the latrines.
Project Impact
All 1,500 people in the village will benefit from the project, which will more than double the number of latrines in the village. In addition to the construction of the new latrines, the households where there are existing latrines will benefit from the reduced traffic.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Rachel Folkerts
Comments
The project will decrease sanitation-related diseases, such as diarrhea, in the community by providing a place for sanitary defecation and by increasing handwashing behaviors through education and other actions designed to produce lasting behavior change.
Dollar Amount of Project
$520.83
Donations Collected to Date
$170.00 from the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin.
Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of the Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.
Dollar Amount Needed
$350.83
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.