Kountanto School Well Project – Senegal

Location
This project will be located at the primary school in the village of Kountanto in south central Senegal. Kountanto is 4 km from a paved road, 15 km from the nearest town, and 140 km from the regional capitol.

Community Description
Kountanto is comprised of about 400 peanut farmers of the Pulaar ethnic group. The people of Kountanto are well organized, hard working, and determined. Kountanto is the proud home of a health hut, mosque, and millet machine.

The people of Kountanto place an importance on education that is unparalleled by other villages in the area. In 2003, a primary school was founded in Kountanto. Since that time, the community has worked on improvements to the school.

There are currently 4 classes, with 3 teachers and 72 students from 3 villages. Three of these classrooms are made of mere millet-stalk.

Through much hard work and persistence by the people of the village, the Senegalese government agreed to build 2 permanent classrooms in Kountanto. Construction of these classrooms is underway, and is to be followed by a project to build 2 additional classrooms.

World Vision recently partnered with the village to complete construction of 2 latrines. However, the latrines are presently unsuitable for use, as there is no water available for cleaning or hand washing.

Project Description
This project is to construct a well to bring water to the primary school of Kountanto.

The well will provide a clean drinking water supply for the students and teachers. It will be used for the school lunch program, for cleaning the latrines and washing hands, and for future gardening projects.

Project Impact
This project will directly affect the 72 students and 3 teachers who currently do not have access to water for drinking or hand washing during the school day.

Indirect beneficiaries will be the 1,000 people of the 3 villages who use the school.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Amber Patterson

Comments
This project brings potable water to a primary school. It complements the work that has been done to create classrooms, and makes the school functional and sanitary.

In addition, accessible water for the toilets will increase general health and sanitation for students and teachers. Students will learn about hygiene and sanitation, and bring that knowledge home to their families.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00 + additional donations for future projects.

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity Emily Morris and friends. The well is hereby named The Bon Eau Well.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Amber Patterson of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund other Peace Corps projects in Senegal.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion of Kountanto School Well Project – Senegal

This project has been completed under the technical direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Amber Patterson. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.

This project was for the construction of a well to bring water to the primary school of Kountanto.

Amber reports:

The project started Monday, March 8, 2010 with a long tractor ride with the purchased well materials from Velingara, the nearest town to Kountanto. The well diggers then selected the site for the well, killed a chicken to ensure good luck for the well, and began work.

The workers came every week day for the entirety of the project, with the exception of a few days when they were sick (or maybe just tired). The project finished April 12th.

Project funds were used to pay the well diggers, and to purchase sand/gravel, iron bars, cement, and, of course, the chicken.

Amber continues:

This project was good timing because it went on at the same time as the SPA-funded school construction project in Kountanto. What that ended up meaning for this project was that we never had to pay for transportation of well materials because we just threw the materials on the tractor we had already rented to bring school construction materials.

Also, the budget for the school project called for the village to supply a pulley, bucket, and rope for a well, which we then just gave to the new school well when the construction project was finished. These little budget cuts made it possible for us to purchase a super sweet, pink painted well to match the pink paint on the school.

All in all, this project was a great success. Community members, myself, as well as primary school students and staff are all thrilled to have a school well.

The latrines at the school are now open and sanitary.

Upon completion of the well project, I conducted a hand washing demonstration at the school, using glitter to represent germs that just won't wash off with soap alone. The students all loved this demonstration and now are very diligent about washing their hands after the bathroom. My hope is that next year the primary school students will be able to start a school garden near the well.

This project was funded by fellow-PCV Emily Morris and friends, to whom we are all grateful.

Both Amber and Emily have completed their Peace Corps service and are now back home resuming educations and careers. Their work, as well as that of the other Senegal PCVs, will stand out as models for others to follow.