Location
Sibeere, Kolda, Senegal
Community Description
On the outskirts of Kolda a village, down a sandy bush path lined with rows of cashew, Sibeere’s community market garden nestles up against the lush seasonal riverbed.
The garden supplies tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, and other vegetables to the local market by the cartload. The village chief owns the land but allows Seydou and his men’s association to work the land freely.
Fresh vegetables produced in the garden provide an important source of income and nutrition to 6 households receiving a direct benefit from the garden.
Each year the gardeners must dig 4 m crude wells to supply the garden with water. These wells often collapse due to sandy soils and the lack of steel reinforcement. Basic reinforcement would last for many years, but sell at 3 months the average farmer’s wage, $150.
Sibeere is home to about 1,000 people, and many more non-residents flow through during the year to either work in the school or in the fields. Nearly the entire community relies primarily on agriculture as their main source of income.
Project Description
This project is to dig and construct a 4-meter reinforced well to provide a reliable source of water for the group’s garden.
The community has picked a spot for the well, surveyed the local water table, and found a local well digger.
In the gardening group, there is a local mason who will lay the cement ring at the top of the well for safety and to avoid contamination from runoff. To prevent collapse due to sandy soils, the mason will place additional cement rings the entire depth of the well as reinforcement.
Water Charity funds will pay for the labor of digging the well, reinforcement materials (cement, posts, and rebar) and material transportation.
Project Impact
Six families, approximately 68 men, women, and children, will benefit from the project. As there are no other wells near the garden, this project will also provide potable water access to an additional 20 farmers working in adjacent fields.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Jacob Rice
Comments
This is a modest but important project that will yield great benefits for the participants and their families in improved nutrition and economic opportunity.
Dollar Amount of Project
$230.00
Donations Collected to Date
$230.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Marcia Wijngaarden, of Den Haag, Netherlands.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Jacob Rice of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Jacob and/or those of other PCVs in Senegal.
This project has been concluded.
