Samoa

Community Description
Mulivai is a small village of about 450 people, located in the district of Safata on the south side of the island of Upolu in Samoa. Most residents work as subsistence farmers, with some gaining extra income by working at two high-end resorts located in a nearby village.

There are some very active groups within the community, such as the aualuma (women's committee), the school committee, and the autalavou (church youth group). There is one primary school that serves the village children, and a Catholic church.

The group that will work on this project is the Mulivai Catholic Youth Group (Mulivai Autalavou Lotu Katoliko). This group is made up of males and females from age 15 to age 40. They are active in the church and community, working to raise money for both groups. Approximately forty village youths are involved in this group.

While the villagers work hard to keep their family compounds clean, it is difficult to dispose of solid waste in a safe and appropriate way. There is garbage pick-up on the island, but it only comes twice a week. In addition, the garbage trucks currently do not serve any houses located off of the main road.

Villagers often dispose of their trash by dumping it behind their houses, burning it, or by leaving it on elevated garbage stands (fata) on the side of the road. However, many of the fata are not properly constructed, so dogs often jump up on them, tearing the garbage bags open and scattering trash all over. Much of this trash then ends up in the river, where many of the villagers get their drinking water.

Project Description
This project is to protect the drinking water in the river by building garbage stands for each of the family compounds in the village and to improve the existing stands so that dogs cannot access the trash. This includes building larger stands at the entrance to side roads so that they can hold all the trash from the families located on these roads.

Project funds will be used to purchase wooden shipping pallets and nails for building the elevated stands, as well for transport of the pallets from Apia to the village. Pallets are available inexpensively from the shipping companies located in the capital city.

The work will be completed by the boys and men of the autalavou. After the construction of the fata, the members of the autalavou will conduct a village-wide garbage clean-up to raise awareness of the importance of using the garbage stands rather than disposing of trash in the backyards.

The youth group, with the assistance of the two village Peace Corps Volunteers, will also educate the community on the difference between organic and inorganic waste and which should be disposed of in the garbage stands.

Project Impact
This project will affect all the 450 residents of the village, in addition to the population of the neighboring village of Maninoa, many of whom also get their drinking water from the river that originates in Mulivai.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
David Nacmanie

Comments
This is an important project to protect the water in the river, which is used for drinking and other household use, from contamination. In addition it prevents the spread of disease that comes from mosquitos and vermin.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer David Nacmanie of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by David and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.

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

Community Description
Vaipua is a small rural village with a population of 650 people on the southwest coast of the large island of Savaii in Samoa.

There is a very active Women's Committee, a primary school that serves both Vaipua and Fogasavaii villages, and a developing tourist beach area.

Vaipua has progressive village leaders who have recently passed village laws to improve the environment. One such law now prohibits the use of chemicals on local crops.

The village suffers from the absence of a system to deal with solid waste. This adversely affects the daily life in the community as well as the economic opportunities for the residents.

The village currently experiences fumes from burning plastics when trash is burned. Family rubbish disposal areas are located near public pathways and inside yards.

Economic development from beach tourism is hampered by unsanitary conditions caused by garbage being disposed of on beaches.

Project Description
This project is to build ten community rubbish bins and stands along the main road of the community.

Project funds will be used to purchase the materials for the construction of the bins and stands.

The project was developed by the Vaipua Women's Committee to promote a safe and healthy rubbish disposal program. It is designed to encourage all Vaipua families to deposit their household non-biodegradable waste, such as cans, metals, plastics and clothing in a proper manner. The rubbish placed in the bins will be picked up weekly by the Samoan Waste Disposal Services.

This project will include promotional signs and materials as well as an information session on the proper separation of solid household waste and the benefits of composting.

Once the rubbish bins are built, the Matai Chief Council will pass a village rule that non-biodegradable rubbish may not be disposed of anywhere but in the bins. The Women's Committee will head the supervision and enforcement of these new regulations, and will conduct regular inspections.

Project Impact
This project will benefit the 650 people of the village.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Elisa Law

Comments
This project will inspire residents to change their behavior from throwing rubbish behind their homes to using the designated stands, allowing the waste to be properly handled and disposed of.

The unhealthful burning of plastics will be eliminated in the village.

The proper disposal of solid waste also has the potential for improving the quality of the groundwater in the community, as contamination will be reduced or prevented.

Dollar Amount of Project
$450.00

Donations Collected to Date
$0.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$450.00

Community Description
Salesatele is a rural village on the southern coast of the island of Upolu. It is a typical Samoan village in which the matai (chiefs) and pulenu'u (mayor) work together to preside over the community.

Income is generated primarily from agriculture and fishing, as well as remittances. Every family has a plantation in which a variety of foods are grown to feed the large Samoan families. Many families fish in order to supplement the land-based foods.

Both a pre-school and a primary school are in the village, teaching kids from Salesatele and a neighboring village. A few residents have jobs as teachers, either in Salesatele or in neighboring villages, while others go to Apia to work in shops or government Ministries.

A marine protected area is also present in the community, giving a sheltered area for fish to grow to maturity, and the village is working on raising giant clams to re-stock the reef.

The source for the pipe water is a river in a nearby village. When heavy rain comes, the pipe water is tainted brown and is unfit for drinking or cooking.

Project Description
The small river which forms the eastern border of the village has a freshwater spring bubbling up. This area is cemented off, forming a reservoir. However, it is not big enough for practical use and the clean water runs into the river unused.

This project will create a vaita'ele or freshwater pool with the spring. The pool will be used as a source for clean, fresh water to be used for drinking and cooking, as well as for laundry and bathing.

Funds will be used to buy cement and other supplies. The village will provide all labor and the services of a carpenter who will oversee construction.

Project Impact
This project will serve approximately 350 people in 40 households.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Erica Wales

Comments

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0 - This project has been fully funded through the generosity of wurld, Jared & Ruth Honore directors, a new socially-conscious water company headquartered in New Zealand.

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

Community Description
Tufutafoe is a remote rural village of 300 residents. Water consumption from current pour flush toilets is currently excessive, and groundwater is polluted from unsealed septic pits.

Project Description
This project involves the construction of a dry composting toilet at the community center of the village, and an educational program to teach the families of Tufutafoe and surrounding villages to construct their own toilets.

The technology to be used is a double vault composting toilet with one stool that can alternately be placed over either vault when one is full (this is where the composting happens). This version has a urine diversion option that requires a slightly different stool and the addition of small rubber tubing. Urine diversion can be done where the location’s geography (rocky, sandy, etc.) allows for a toilet side garden.

The latrine will be constructed by the village and Peace Corps volunteers, all providing free labor. The village and/or fellow Peace Corps volunteers will also contribute sand, gravel, transportation costs, food for laborers, and Mineral of Natural Resources pathogen testing fees.

In conjunction with the Samoan Ministry of Health, a demonstration will be prepared to show the benefits of the composting toilet, and to teach the village how best to use it.

The successful completion of this model is expected to lead to follow-up projects at the primary school and at individual family compounds.

PCV Jennifer Koch will oversee the construction, and control the budget, timetable, and quality of the work. Further, she will direct the educational process and extend the beneficial results into the future.

Project Impact
The village of 300 people, and others in surrounding areas, will learn about dry composting technology and adopt the new human waste disposal model.

The approach will result in improvement in the quality and quantity of the available water supply by remediating the groundwater source. It will also result in a safe natural hummus to fertilize tree crops.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Jennifer Koch

Comments
This project has the ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of a different technology to the entire island. The model project concept allows the community to participate in the construction, learn the new technology, evaluate its effectiveness, and replicate the construction where needed.

This is more than just the construction of a toilet at a community center. The visibility of the project and local participation can be expected to lead to the dissemination of a proven technology that will resolve existing water supply problems in the community.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

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

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