This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION.
Location
Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx, Ifangni, Plateau Department, Benin
This project summary has been redacted for security reasons to omit the specific project location.
Community Description
The village of Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx is an agricultural community located in the Plateau department of Benin. The majority of the village’s inhabitants are farmers or tradesmen.
Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx village is situated 5 kilometers from the Benin – Nigeria Border, 20 kilometers from Porto-Novo, the political capital of Benin, and 50 kilometers from Cotonou, the economic capital of the country. Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx is mainly filled with fields of palm trees, maize, corn, beans, cassava, and ground nuts. The area is known for its fabrication of palm oil.
This project will take place at the Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx Secondary School, located on the main road of the village. There is no water on campus. The school has eighteen classrooms most of which are in a very poor condition. The secondary school has approximately of 1,120 students ranging from 6th to 12th grade. The school’s enrollment has continued to increase significantly every year since it was founded in 2003.
Problem Addressed
The The Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx Secondary School needs potable water on campus. There are no public water sources near the school. Therefore, students go all day without water, causing students to become dehydrated and sick. This leads to more student absences from school and a decline in performance in the classroom.
In 2009, the Parents of Students Association along with the administration funded a project to drill for water on the school property. With two attempts water was found in 53 meters deep. Then, for the first time, the school had running water near the entrance. Students had to pump the water with their feet every day and carry the water to their classroom in a medium-sized bucket. It would take about 10 minutes, using a lot of energy, to fill up one bucket of water. Unfortunately, that well lasted only two years.
There has been no running water since 2011. Consequently, students, especially those living further from school, go all day without drinking water and often suffer from dehydration and headaches. This is especially dangerous during the dry season when daily temperatures reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Additionally, the lack of running water seriously affects hygiene and sanitation. The lack of water on campus has hindered the attempts to install hand washing stations and encourage hygienic practices. As a result, students sometimes fall ill and are forced to miss class.
Project Description
This project will construct a water tap at the Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx Secondary School, which will provide potable water to the school and the surrounding community.
This will be done by installing an electrical water pump that will draw the water to a small water tower that will hold the pumped water and then distribute it through the pipes. There will be three main taps, one located in the center of the school for the students’ use, another in front of the principal’s office, and next to the vice principal’s office where all the teachers come to before the start of their classes and finally one next to the water tower, which will be located on campus by the food vendors area, for the community’s use.
The community recognizes and understands that this project requires substantial work and commitment on their part. The school administration has organized various meetings with the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and community leaders. The community has committed to contributing financially. This contribution covers 25% of the total project cost.
Project funds will be used to purchase the necessary project materials, such as concrete, pipes, pipe joints, and faucets. The funds will also cover the skilled labor costs of the plumber, carpenter, mason and the technician, who will be responsible for the laborers and facilitating the project. The plumber will connect the pumped water to the water tower then join the pipes for water distribution and install the faucets. The carpenter will create the base of the water tower and the mason will construct the concrete structure.
Project Impact
This project will benefit 1,850 people, including 1,120 students.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
The project will be administered by Peace Corps Volunteer Ghizlane Moustaid.
Monitoring and Maintenance 
Once the project is completed, the availability of clean drinking water will continue to benefit the schools’ students, faculty, and the surrounding community. Students and teachers will be able to stay hydrated and healthier, allowing them to perform better in class.
To ensure the community continues to benefit from this project into the future, the administration of the CEG Bxxxxxx-Lxxxxxx will take on the full responsibility of maintaining the tap. The school budget will be adjusted to accommodate the cost of using and maintaining the tap. This will be the responsibility of both the principal and the accountant of the school.
Project Funding
Funds for this project have been provided by an anonymous donor.
Conclusion of Ifangni School Water System Project – Benin
This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Ghizlane Moustaid. To read about the beginning of the project, scroll up to the top of the page.
The project was to construct a water tap at the Banigbe-Lokossa Secondary School to provide potable water to the school and the surrounding community.
Ghizlane reports:
We were able to complete the project itself around the end of February, thanks to Water Charity!
I am attaching a few pictures of the project.
Thank you so much for your contribution! It means so much to me and to the Banigbe-Lokossa community!
We, in turn, are grateful to Ghizlane for completing this great project.
