Dominican Republic

Community Description
The island of Saona is located off the South East point of the Dominican Republic. The island is a part of the Dominican Republic National Park system, Parque National del Este.

Mano Juan, located one hour by boat from the port of Bayahibe, is the larger of two coastal communities located on the island. It has a population is 230 people, 28% of whom are youth under the age of 18.

People living in Mano Juan are financially dependent on the tourism industry, with a minority depending on fisheries.

Mano Juan does not have a potable water system. Therefore, individual homes collect rainwater, which they chlorinate and use for drinking.

Over half of the families in Mano Juan lack a sanitation facility, and the residents utilize the beach or forest for their needs, thus creating environmental and health problems.

The Mano Juan Primary School is located in the community, and teaches through the 8th grade.

Project Description
This project is to construct two EcoBaños (ecological bathrooms or composting latrines) at the school.

The Pro Desarrollo Comunitario de Mano Juan committee, with assistance from the Peace Corps environmental volunteer, has planned this as a pilot project. The ultimate goal is for every house in Mano Juan to have a proper sanitation facility within the next 2 years.

The design provides for the capture of the waste above the ground, thus eliminating the possibility that the groundwater will be polluted.

The cement double-vault latrines will be constructed of steel-reinforced concrete. The concrete is made by mixing cement, sand, and gravel.

The “toilet” portion is made from a specific mold that allows for the separation of the urine and fecal matter. Urine exits through a tube, and the fecal material is left to dry. The composted material can then be safely removed and used as fertilizer.

The base has two compartments. The first compartment will be used until full, an average of 6 months. That compartment will then be capped, and the second compartment will be used.

Trained Health Promoters will visit the school and cover different topics ranging from health risks to parts of the latrine. A local mason has attended an EcoBaño training, and will construct the latrines, with construction time projected to be 2 ½ weeks.

Community participation includes manual labor volunteers for every work day for 7 days, and breakfast and lunch for the laborers. Transportation from port to island has been donated by the local Ministry of Environment office.

Community members will transport materials from the community dock to the storage location at the school. The community solicited the donation of materials, including the zinc needed for the structure.

Student groups have raised funds through various community events to buy paint, with which students will paint an educational mural upon completion of project.

Project funds will be used to buy the remaining materials. In addition, they will pay for the labor of the mason and some transport costs.

The Health Promoter will continue with education during and after the construction to ensure that the latrine is maintained properly.

Project Impact
230 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Colleen Ferris

Comments
The project will provide appropriate sanitation facilities for the school, and also serve as an educational and motivational tool to demonstrate the composting latrine technology for proper waste management.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$205.00

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
$350.00

Community Description
Located in the Cordillera Septentrional mountain range, La Penda is predominately a farming community consisting of 96 homes and 373 residents set along a two-mile dilapidated dirt and rock road.

The majority of houses are constructed of a three foot high concrete base with the remaining wall constructed of palm wood and a roof of zinc.

Internal commerce is limited to small stores which sell basic necessities, such as rice, beans, soap and toilet paper.

Illiteracy within the community stands at 18%, while the percentage of adults not completing a fifth grade education is 41%, with another 22% not having attained an eighth grade education.

The community is connected to the country’s electrical grid and receives electricity for 40% of the day.

Two aqueducts service the community supplying water to 73% of houses directly and 15% of houses indirectly with the remaining 12% relying on river or rainwater.

Project Description
This project is to provide 28 water filters for families in the community without access to safe water.

The project is being implemented under the direction of the La Penda Neighborhood Association and their Health Committee. Filters are being purchased through Filter Pure, a non-profit organization that through their distribution of filters supports local economies.

Participating families initially attended 3 health-related presentations organized by the Health Committee. Upon receipt of the filters, families will attend an educational workshop which will include instructions on the simple usage and maintenance of the filter. This workshop will be coordinated by the Health Committee who received facilitator training from Filter Pure and will be a hands-on demonstration in which each family will clean their filter. The Health Committee will also conduct a follow-up visit with the families to ensure that maintenance of the filters is being completed according to schedule. When replacement ceramic pot filtration components are needed, the Health Committee will also work with each family in order to save the necessary funds.

The ceramic pot filter is formed from a mixture of clay, a combustible material (sawdust or rice husks), and colloidal silver. The pot is then kiln fired, leaving about half an inch of activated charcoal within the filter and burning out the combustible material thus creating micro pores (1.3 microns) coated with the silver. The pores filter out turbidity, bacteria and protozoa; and any bacteria that does pass through the pores is rendered ineffective by the colloidal silver while the activated charcoal improves the odor, taste and color of the water. The filter removes 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria and oocytes while retaining healthy, naturally-occurring minerals.

The filter, which is designed with a rim, is placed on a five gallon plastic storage bucket with a spigot at the bottom for dispensing. A lid is placed on the filter to prevent contamination. Water is poured through the ceramic pot and filtered into the receptacle bucket. The filters are capable of purifying water from any source, including aqueducts, rivers, wells and rainwater. The flow rate of the filter ranges from 20 to 30 liters per day depending upon how often the filter is refilled.

Filters are cleaned by lightly scrubbing the surface when flow rate is reduced, and it is recommended that the filter is boiled every three months to insure optimum effectiveness. The effective useful life of the ceramic pot is at least 5 years.

Project Impact
112 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Bob Tuttle

Comments
Clean water will result in a reduction of school and work absences due to stomach and intestinal illnesses. The educational component will ensure compliance in the use and maintenance of the filters. Sustainability is built into the project with the saving of money for the purchase of replacement components when needed.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$130.00

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
$370.00

Community Description
The majority of households have one income supporting a family of 4-7 people. The source of water is currently from wells because city water systems are not developed or are very poorly maintained.

The families to be benefited are largely of Haitian origin, who have been overlooked by other aid programs in the area. They suffer from parasites, amoebas, diarrhea, and other waterborne illnesses.

Project Description
This project is to purchase and distribute 50 water filters, and train the families in their use and maintenance. The filters are of a type widely used in nearby communities, which have been medically proven to greatly reduce the incidence of disease.

Members of the community will be trained in the technology, transport the filters to remote areas, and train others. Beneficiaries will pay a portion of the costs, according to their abilities to do so.

A follow-up project will aim at teaching community members to produce the filters, thereby reducing the expense for future projects, and creating a source of work for the people.

Project Impact
Approximately 150 people will be directly affected by this project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Asahi Wada

Comments
This project provides immediate help to those suffering from life-threatening illnesses. It is the appropriate technology to remedy a pressing need. It impacts a part of the population with no financial means to address the problem without assistance.

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 Hack & Slash, with the help of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Asahi Wada, who have designated Water Charity as beneficiaries of this year’s Hack and Slash Christmas Special in Color held in Baltimore, MD.

The project is dedicated in honor of John and Kelly Davis.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify the PCV of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund future projects in the country of service.

This project has been completed. Click HERE to see the final report.