This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION. 
Location
Kerewan Dumbonokono, Central River Region, The Gambia
Community Description
Kerewan Dumbonokono is in the Central River Region, Fulladu West District. 80 percent of the population speaks Mandinka while the other 20 percent speak Fulani. The population is about 1,000, with 32 compounds. The village does not have electricity but has solar power in most compounds.
A women’s garden is in the back of the village and is planted is cassava, tomato, beans, potato, and mint. Kerewan has a lower basic school grades Kindergarten to 6th grade. Kerewan has a newly installed borehole of 2 tanks and 4 taps.
Problem Addressed
The existing water system does not meet the needs of the growing population.
There is an extensive illness due to a lack of clean and accessible water. A large amount of time is spent in retrieving safe water, a burden that falls largely on girls.
Project Description
This project is to build a new borehole, install two tanks, install a solar panel, and extend the pipe network to serve all of the compounds in the growing community.
Water Charity funds will be used to pay for materials and skilled labor.
The community will dig the trenches for the piping, and provide heads for all the taps.
The community has already invested $9,000 USD for the first phase. An additional $1,400 USD will be contributed to complete this second phase.
The village council will form a water committee to maintain the taps and also ensure that each compound pays a monthly fee in order to keep the tap system in working order.
Project Impact
1,000 people will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Daron McDonnaugh
Monitoring and Maintenance
Sustainability is a major focus of this project. The water committee will implement collection, recording, and documentation of the funds and ensure the care of the improvements.
Every user will pay a monthly amount to be used for maintenance and repairs.
Let Girls Learn
This project qualifies as a Let Girls Learn project.
The specific objectives include: (i) To improve access to quality education for girls in the community of Kerewan Dumbonkono through improved water facilities, (ii) To enhance health care status of the members of the community, particularly for children under five and school-going children, (iii) To contribute towards diversification of the livelihood sources for women in the community.
The outcomes of this refined system will include, but are not limited to: (i) Reduction of the time spent by women and girls collecting domestic household water, (ii) Increased time for girls to study and for women to be involved in other economic livelihood activities, (iii) Declined rates of diarrheal episodes among children, leading to improved school attendance, (iv) Doubled domestic water supply, (v) Increased annual saving of families, to be directed toward female education.
Project Funding
Although the funds to get this project underway have been provided by an anonymous donor, we continue to accept donations so that we will have funds on hand for the next project in The Gambia. Please use this Donate button, and your donation will be attributed to this project and the Peace Corps Volunteer will be notified.
