Location
Refuge District, Parish of Trelawny, Jamaica
Community Description
Refuge is a poor rural community located in the hills of Trelawny, about 8 miles from Falmouth. It has approximately 130 households, and a population of about 500. Over 40% of the household heads are unemployed.
The Community Center also serves as the Basic School, which has one teacher and 20 students ages 3 to 6. There is no water in the school or the toilet building.
The bathroom building is behind the school, with a pit toilet on the girl’s side and a flush toilet on the boy’s side. There are no sinks in the bathrooms.
The Ministry of Health has served notice that the school will be shut down unless the sanitation facilities are upgraded by the end of August 2011.
Project Description
This project is to bring running water to the school, and to upgrade the bathroom facilities with flush toilets and new sinks. The project will be carried out under the direction of the Refuge Basic School and the Refuge Community Association.
A water line to the toilets and the sinks will be installed and tied into the water line on the street.
On the girl’s side, the old pit toilet will be removed, the floor will be patched with concrete and a new flush toilet and seat will be installed.
On the boy’s side, the old flush toilet will be repaired and a new seat added.
New hand washing sinks will be installed in both the boy’s and girl’s rooms. Each sink will have a new ½” PVC water line with a shut-off valve and a new 1½” PVC drain. The sinks will drain into an existing stormwater concrete drain. Piping the sink water (gray water) into the storm drain will not harm the environment and will avoid filling the pit that the toilets drain into.
Water Charity funds will be used to buy a toilet, 2 sinks, PVC piping, and the necessary valves and fittings.
The work will be done by plumbing students from the vocational training institute located in Falmouth. The plumbing teacher will supervise the project and is fully supportive because this will provide hands-on plumbing experience to his students.
Project Impact
All 500 residents of Refuge, but especially the students, staff, and parents of the Basic School will benefit.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Mary Lee Caldwell
Comments
This is an example of how the Appropriate Projects concept can react to an emergency situation, and prevent the closure of a school.
The project is basic and is necessary for the health and well-being of the students and community. It is supported by the school and community and has a good plan for implementation.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has 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 Peace Corps Volunteer Mary Lee Caldwell of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Mary Lee and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.