Location
Ambavala, Fenerive-Est District, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
Community Description
The village of Ambavala is located on the tropical and beautiful northeast coast of the island nation of Madagascar, about six miles north of the nearest town, Fenerive-Est, and just a short walk from the edge of the Indian Ocean. The name translates to “at the mouth of the forest,” and it borders one of the last remaining stretches of rare coastal rainforest on the island. Fishing is one of the primary sources of income in the area, along with weaving baskets, farming rice, and the yearly harvests of litchis and cloves.
While water shortages are not usually characteristic of the rainy east coast, this rather large village of nearly 300 people depends on only one well for all of their daily water needs. Not only is it unable to support that many, but its distance from households on the far side of the village also makes the three-times-daily chore of fetching water both time-consuming and difficult and even prohibitive.
A large number of people still get their drinking and cooking water at streams nearby that are fed by muddy rice fields and where other community members bathe washcloths, and even bring their small herds of cattle to drink and cool off. During the short dry season that accompanies the hottest months of the year, the water level of the well drops significantly, forcing even more households to use those alternative sources of water.
Building wells in the area can be costly, and for this reason, cheaper hand pumps have been installed over the years in various locations throughout the village. However, the mechanisms on the pumps break easily and the underground pipe needs to be replaced every few years, at costs too high for the residents.
Only one of these pumps still work, located near the local elementary school on a far side of the village, but the water is so brown that residents still choose the polluted streams and teachers at the school send students all the way to the well for water needed during the school day.
Project Description
This project is to build a long-lasting, professionally-built concrete well in Ambavala.
The well will follow the model of the one built-in 2006, which has only needed minor repairs, which can easily be taken care of by members of the community.
Water Charity funds will be used to hire the same well-builder, who has agreed to work on the project and buy the materials.
The well will be built at a depth of 7 meters, similar to the current well’s 6 meters, and will be lined with concrete rings, sealed together with concrete.
The top will be a meter-high concrete structure, complete with a metal lid.
The new well will be built near one of the broken water pumps, in a location agreed upon by the community as centrally located among the households, on the side of the village furthest from the existing well.
Additional paths will be built to ensure it is easily accessible from all sides and to all households.
A protective structure will be built around the well out of local materials by members of the community.
Project Impact
At least 350 people, including students at the elementary school and members of the village, will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Brynna Hoggard
Comments
This is an important infrastructure project for the community. It will improve the daily lives of the villagers by providing a convenient and reliable source of safe water.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Brynna Hoggard.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Brynna of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Brynna and/or those of other PCVs in the country.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.