Location
Melitopol, Melitopolskyi Raion, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine
Community Description
Melitopol is a city of 160,000 people, the second-largest city in the Zaporishia Oblast, and located in South-Eastern Ukraine. The city was founded in 1784 by a decree of Empress Catherine II. As part of the Soviet Union, the city quickly became a major center of trade revolving around the engineering and cast iron industries. The city is also a major train transit center to Crimea.
Since the fall of the USSR, the city’s previously thriving industry has declined. Government funding for different local infrastructure, maintenance, and rebuilding projects has fallen. Consequently, many buildings are in a state of disrepair or are in the process of decay. One of the biggest challenges facing the city has to do with the poor state of the water supply and sanitation systems.
School #15 is located within the commercial district of Melitopol called Microrayon. The school is one of the largest in the city with 870 students from 1st to 11th grade. There are 58 teachers, 25 other personnel, as well as many parents involved in various aspects of the school’s administration and activities.
The school was constructed in 1974 and, in certain respects, has held up pretty well. One of the difficulties that the school is facing has to do with the water pipes in the building, which have become rusted and leak water. The bathrooms on the third floor (these are one of two bathroom facilities available for students) are in poor condition, leaking and not flushing properly. This causes excess water to spill onto the floor, a long queue for the bathrooms, and poor sanitation. Some children have reported feeling sick after using these squat toilets.
Project Description
This project is to purchase and install four new sitting toilets and two new tanks, and to fix the leaking pipe in the bathroom of School #15.
The charitable foundation Ridne Misto Melitopol will lead the project. Ridne Misto will provide volunteers with plumbing experience from their organization (as they did on a prior project), and the local administration will provide a water expert. The Melitopol City Council will be responsible for the maintenance of the new bathroom facilities and ensure the sustainability of the project.
The first stage involves the plumbers removing the old broken squat toilet structures. The second stage will involve fixing the leaking pipe by replacing the broken part of the pipe structure in the boy’s bathroom. The third stage will be the installation of the four new sitting toilets and two new tanks by the plumbing volunteers.
Project Impact
This project will benefit 870 students, 58 teachers, and 25 other personnel. In addition, people who attend community meetings, teacher-parent conferences, and social activities at the school will also benefit.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
William Toerpe
Comments
This is a necessary infrastructure project designed to improve the health and well-being of all who spend time at the school. It incorporates the minimum amount of work to resolve the problem and has a great school and community support.
William previously completed the Melitopol Cultural Center Bathroom Project – Ukraine.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$0.00
ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW
Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you “naming rights”, if that is something you would like.
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
$555.00
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.