Location
Karang Poste, Fatick Region, Senegal, West Africa
Community Description
Karang Poste, with a population of 12,000, is a quickly growing town in the region of Fatick, approximately 2 kilometers from the border of The Gambia. The major local language spoken is Wolof, but there are strong influences of Mandinka, Pulaar, Sereer, and other dialects as well.
Karang Poste is currently putting forth vast efforts in school development. There is one brand new primary school being developed, one new school building being constructed, and a local high school program has also been initiated this academic school year. Education is of high priority in the development of this community, as major physical and administrative resources are being applied in order to accommodate the growing number of students in this fast-growing town.
Ecole Karang I is one of four primary schools in the town of Karang Poste. It was the first primary school to be established in Karang Poste in 1978. As of January 2011, it is still the largest school and also has the oldest facilities with 734 students and 18 teachers.
The school director, as supported by the education commission in Karang, has stated that the top two priorities of the school are enhancing and improving security and supplying adequate materials for all of the students. The objectives of the first priority are to provide appropriate fencing or enclosure for the school, as well as ensuring appropriate health and sanitation methods are being practiced. The second priority focuses on the supply of learning materials such as pens, notebooks, literature, and proper furniture (tables and chairs).
Ecole Karang I has two latrine units on the school grounds. The first is a larger block of 6 stalls for the students. The second is a small pair of toilets for faculty use. They are in very poor condition, leading to improper sanitation and resulting in illness of students and teachers.
Project Description
This latrine project includes plans to repair both the large student unit and the small faculty unit.
Large Student Unit:
The largest and most important plan for this unit is to dig and construct a new septic tank. The current septic tank has slowly disintegrated and fallen apart over the years. This issue, combined with the broken pipes, means that this large block of latrines is both dysfunctional and creates highly dangerous health and safety hazards.
Project funds will be used to dig a new septic tank, the sand from which will then be used to fill in the older and broken tank, and to purchase new pipes. Additional cement and labor will be used to construct a wall and door unit in order to fully enclose these latrines and therefore prevent outside tampering and minor vandalism or mistreatment.
Small Faculty Unit:
The plans for this faculty unit are to repair its respective septic tank (also faulty, but salvageable), replace some of the pipes, and replace the two Turkish toilet bowls which are broken and unusable. In order to meet the same security codes and issues as the larger unit, two new doors with locks will also be constructed to ensure full security of all the latrine units.
Financing from Water Charity alone is insufficient to fund the entirety of these project plans, but the school community readily located additional materials and financial resources with assistance from the education commission and the local mayor’s office to provide the remainder.
Additionally, the school is very excited and interested in adopting a cleaning and maintenance program. A rotating schedule will ensure weekly care of the latrines, the responsibility being collectively owned and shared.
Project Impact
The repair and reconstruction of these latrines will directly affect the 752 of teachers and students working and learning at this school. In addition, safer and more proper latrines will lead to significant indirect impacts on the nearby community centers (the public market and local health post sharing the closest proximity and also the town’s highest trafficked areas), neighboring schools, and all of the related children and families connected to this school.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Byron Yee
Comments
The latrines were initially built with a very limited budget, leading to poor design and construction quality. These latrines are now being repaired with appropriate techniques and materials, thus transforming shoddy latrines posing serious health and safety risks into units which are durable and sustainable.
The large community contribution is a strong indicator of the high value and importance of this project for the community, and the resultant expectation that they will be maintained far into the future.
This project follows the successful completion of the Karang Soce Latrine Project – Senegal under Byron’s direction.
Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00
Donations Collected to Date
$500.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Byron of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or other projects in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.