Location
Kekeressi, Department of Salemata, Kedougou Region, Senegal
Community Description
The community of Kekeressi consists of about 150 people whose main occupations are subsistence farming and gardening. Though small in numbers, they have shown ambition in their efforts to improve food security for the continually growing population.
The Madame Wade Primary School in Kekeressi has well-constructed classrooms and a shaded meeting place in the courtyard. Many children from neighboring villages attend the school, which makes it an ideal location to expose students to improved gardening and reforestation techniques.
A well was dug in June of 2010, complete with a hand pump top to provide for the needs of the school. This past spring, the school made its first attempt at dry-season gardening activities. However it became clear early on that watering was going to be an issue, despite the presence of a reliable water source. This difficulty is based on the fact that the well was dug close to the classrooms, and the enclosed field space for gardening activities is on the opposite side of the property.
Project Description
This project is to create a water storage basin to maintain water for irrigation of the school garden and a tree nursery.
The crops will add nutritional value to the breakfast and lunch provided by the school. Trees grown will be taken home by the students and out-planted
The basin will be located in the center of the field space, allowing for easy access to the garden and making it possible for the children to water the crops themselves.
The basin will be 2 meters by 2 meters, and 1 meter in height (a half meter of which will be buried).
Bricks will be made and used to construct the basin. A chain-link fence will be erected to protect the space containing the basin and all future gardens/tree nurseries from the intrusion of goats and cattle.
Approximately 80 meters of PVC piping will be run from the well to the storage basin. This will allow students and teachers to pump water at the well and direct it down an existing trough. The trough will be modified to allow control over whether the water remains in the trough as it does now, or to be released into the PVC pipe to fill up the basin in the garden area.
A list of materials has been drawn up and a local mason has been chosen to do the work.
Project funds will be used to purchase the tools and materials, including a saw, PVC pipe, water sealant and glue, cement, and chain link.
The community will provide the labor, including collecting and hauling sand to be mixed with the cement for the bricks that will constitute the basin and raising the chain-link fence that will surround the area.
Project Impact
The 200 students and 20 staff and teachers will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Steve Sullivan
Comments
This project will benefit the entire community. In addition to providing a learning experience for the students, the meals served to the students will be enriched and the families will benefit from the crops grown.
Dollar Amount of Project
$552.00
Donations Collected to Date
$552.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Steve Sullivan of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Steve and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.