Mali

Community Description
Farakan Dougoutigila is a small agrarian community that now exclusively uses well water for drinking. The members of this community are extremely motivated in improving the health and sanitation of their village. Recently, they earned a plaque, given through a partnership between the Red Cross and USAID, which signifies that the village is a "clean" village and actively participates in efforts to improve the village’s cleanliness with local supplies.

This past spring, each family dug and constructed - all with local materials – family latrines and soak pits. Additionally, they have made plans to construct cement handwashing stations, first at the school and then in individual family compounds.

Project Description
Farakan Dougoutigila has only one pump that broke several years ago. The community wells, while functional, do not have the necessary elements to provide clean drinking water.

As part of the Peace Corps spirit, the village will contribute nearly half of the money for the supplies and the repair fee for the pump.

Additionally, they have formed the Farakan Dougoutigila Pump Committee, composed of all the heads of the families that will use the pump. Each member will contribute the equivalent of 40 cents (200 CFA) per month to a fund that will be solely for the future repairs of the pump.

The village has found a certified pump repairman who was trained by a Mali NGO specializing in pumps and their maintenance (CREPA-MALI). Part of the village contribution will go toward the repairman’s fee.

Additionally, about 12 men have committed to serving as the repairman's helpers for the time it takes to repair the pump.

Water Charity funds will be used to supplement the village's contribution, but will mainly be put towards buying the new cylinder – the most expensive component - needed to complete the repair. The village will also be responsible for preparing the meals for all the workers and supplying all the smaller tools that may be needed (such as shovels and wheelbarrows).

Project Impact
The entire community of about 1,500 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Ryan Torpie

Comments
This is a high-impact project that will have an immediate and long-lasting effect on the wellbeing of the entire village. It is well planned, and has widespread community support.

Dollar Amount of Project
$250.00

Donations Collected to Date
$250.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.

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

Community Description
Socourani is a small farming village of approximately 425 people located in the Koulikoro Region of Mali. This village is like many other small villages in that it has no electricity or running water, but is unlike many other villages in that it has no school, no mosque, no boutique, and no cell phone reception.

In addition, one thing that sets Socourani apart is its lack of wells, and more importantly, lack of water in the wells. While there are 10 personal wells within the community, every one of them is dry, year round, causing everyone to have to fetch water at the village hand pumps for all water needs.

The villagers have tried deepening their wells in search of water, but the wells have all collapsed, as the people do not have the knowledge or the resources to brace their wells.

Villagers spend a lot of time waiting at the community pump or traveling long distances to neighboring villages' wells to fetch water for their animals.

The Socourani Deep Well Project - Mali was recently completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Owen Fitzgerald. This involved the digging and bracing of the bottom of this large diameter deep well (nearly 65 ft. deep and 6 ft. in diameter).

Project Description
This project is to improve the well to ensure its safety, sanitation, and longevity.

The upgrades that will be made include the bracing of the walls using Dutch Bricks all the way to a level above the top of the well (3 ft. above the ground so animals/kids don’t fall in), as well as completing a top-well construction, which involves casting a top slab and an apron around the well area.

The project funds will be used for purchasing cement, sand, rebar, tools, transportation of these materials, and the labor of a well technician.

The community will provide all of the labor for casting the Dutch bricks (400 bricks to be cast one-by-one using a brick mold) as well as laying the bricks in the well. In addition, villagers will supply all of the gravel, and transport this gravel to Socourani by donkey cart.

Project Impact
Approximately 300 men, women, and children will be benefit from the improvement of this community deep well.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Owen Fitzgerald

Comments
The improvements will not only strengthen the integrity of the well, but also will greatly improve the safety and sanitation of the well.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Patrick Flynn, of Encinitas, CA, USA.

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

Community Description
The project community consists of two small villages one of 700 people and another of 250 people located in the rural Mali. Community members are subsistence farmers without access to electricity or running water in their villages.

The current Peace Corps Volunteer in Zeala and the Zeala Water and Sanitation committee designed and are currently implementing a WATSAN improvement project mainly to repair two existing pump structures, purchase a pump repair kit, and train repair men and women to fix the pumps. The project is going well and members from a neighboring village, Nci'Bugu where the volunteer has also begun work, participated in the formation on pump repair.

During the course of this formation, it was discovered that there were expensive parts in the pumps of both villages that need to be replaced. In particular, Nci'Bugu's entire pump piston was replaced last year but, unfortunately, those who replaced it had put in an old part that is too heavy for the piping. The threading of a piece at the bottom of the cylinder was poor and parts of the pump have fallen into the forage.

Currently Nci'Bugu's pump cannot function and this is extremely difficult during this time of year in the middle of hot season when the neighboring wells dry up. Women will soon need to walk at least 2 miles to a neighboring village to fetch water.

Due to a poor harvest season, the high cost of the needed parts, absence of a source of credit for the village, and the short time frame, the villagers cannot afford to fix the pumps on their own.

Project Description
This project is to repair pumps in Zeala and Nci'Bugu.

The work will be done by villagers who have participated in the program and have gained sufficient skills to perform the repairs.

Project funds will be used to purchase the necessary parts and to pay for some of the labor.

The community will contribute 25% of the cost, plus whatever else may be required for completion.

Project Impact
The combined population of both villages, approximately 950 people, will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Colleen Naughton

Comments
This project is vital for the health and wellbeing of the members of both villages. The newly trained pump repair team will ensure the maintenance of the pumps in the future.

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, with additional funds from Hope You Like It.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Colleen Naughton of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Colleen 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
Bougaribaya is a rural village in western Mali, where the main source of income is subsistence agriculture. The community has a primary school and a secondary school, which serves 2 villages.

The village of Bougaribaya has a population of about 2,000, and is the head of a commune of over 7,000 people.

In Bougaribaya, there is a water tower that brings water to one tap in the village. However, the tap costs a small amount of money (about 3 cents per bucket), so its accessibility is limited many of the villagers.

There are two working pumps. The majority of the villagers, however, access water through wells, many of which are hand dug.

Despite efforts at sensitization and technical training, treatment of drinking water is still largely unpracticed in the village. Sanitation issues in the community are exacerbated by general lack of sanitary practices such as hand washing and use of latrine covers. Soak pits are only built in a small portion of the compounds in the village.

The wells pose a significant issue to the health of the population, as trash is strewn across the village, mainly consisting of food scraps, plastic, paper goods and organic material such as straw and corn husks. In addition, the trash also includes animal feces which are deposited almost everywhere in the village, since animals are allowed to roam around without any sort of fencing systems for the majority of animal owners.

Trash and animal feces can be deposited close to the wells, most of which are hand-dug and unlined, posing serious risks of contamination leading to water-borne illnesses. These trash piles also pose a health threat as they attract flies and other insects which can carry diseases that contaminate food and water sources. During rainy season they create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, adding to the enormous issue of malaria in the area.

The Director of the Bougaribaya First and Secondary Cycle Community School began a program with the students of the second cycle to clean up the village. However, due to a paucity of rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows, the program is not very extensive.

Project Description
This is a project to improve the sanitary environment of the village through the elimination of the trash and animal waste that exists throughout.

Project funds will be used to purchase tools to be used by the volunteer group from the school. 50 rakes, 10 shovels, and 3 wheelbarrows will be bought and put into use.

The school currently only owns 3 rakes, 2 shovels, and a wheelbarrow, but will buy an extra 7 rakes, 3 shovels, and an additional wheelbarrow.

The school director has already begun to organize the school children into small weekly campaigns during Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, when there are no classes at school. Currently, only a few students are able to take part of the cleaning campaigns, but there is a huge interest by the students to expand the campaign.

The waste that is picked up will be transported by wheelbarrow to the outskirts of the village, where it will be burned.

The school has a stock of face masks to be used during the cleanings, as dirt and dust often create a dangerous atmosphere for the children to breathe in. The health center has also offered to donate plastic gloves to the children during the campaigns.

The school director will be responsible for the tools. They will be stored in a storage hut located in the school grounds, and the key will only be held by the school director.

The community and the school will provide all the labor for the cleanup.

During the cleanup sessions, which will be held once a week at different areas in the village, the students will also hear lectures on the importance of keeping a clean and sanitary living environment to reduce disease.

In addition, the school will do a theater show on the importance of the environment, water, and sanitation, with the theater group in the school, to aid in improving education on these issues throughout the community. During the training the director, with help of the other teachers and the volunteer, will do weekly animations on different health issues concerning water and sanitation.

Project Impact
This project will benefit the 2,000 people in the village, including the 600 students in the first and second cycle schools.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Dina Carlin

Comments
This is a sanitation project with a huge public health benefit. For a very small financial commitment, the volunteer labor of the community and the school is harnessed to create a massive impact on the problems facing the community.

The project has great community and school support, is well planned, and is designed with sustainability in mind.

Dollar Amount of Project
$494.44

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
$494.44

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

Community Description
Marembilia is a small village of 500 people, mostly Malinke, and virtually all subsistence farmers. Potable water is their primary concern. Most drinking water is taken from traditional wells, which are susceptible to high contamination.

There is one fully operational pump at the school, a partially functional pump at the chief’s, and a non-operational pump closer to the center of the village.

People within proximity to the working pumps are more likely to take their drinking water from them, and avoid the unsafe sources.

The community has begun preparing land for a single hectare community garden, to include a low-maintenance irrigation system, and has also expressed the need for a convenient and reliable method for watering the community’s livestock in the hot season, once the seasonal stream has dried.

Project Description
This project is to restore the pumps in the village to full functionality to provide for the potable water needs of the village, and to provide additional facilities for irrigation and tending to livestock.

The project is multi-faceted: funds will be used to purchase (1) replacement parts for the inoperative Mark model bore-hole pumps, (2) a NAFASORO irrigation pump and its accessories for the women’s community garden, and (3) materials for constructing animal drinking troughs and a soakpit.

The village has already opened the bore-hole pumps and determined the necessary parts for its repair.

The Mark model pumps will also serve as the water-feed for garden irrigation with the NAFASORO pump and cattle watering during the hot season, when the seasonal stream can no longer sustain this demand.

The pump close to the center of the village is adjacent to the area being prepared for gardening, and will have a small reservoir attached to it in order to feed the NAFASORO. With this system, a relatively minimal amount of labor will be required to water the garden, and it will not suffer from inconsistent rainy seasons.

Purchase of the NAFASORO is most expensive, accounting for two-thirds of the project funds. The replacement parts for the pump are relatively inexpensive (piston cups and gaskets) and the rest of the funds will purchase a few bags of cement and PVC piping for the drinking troughs and soakpit.

The project is being carried out under the direction of the Water & Sanitation Committee / Women's Shea Cooperative.

Project Impact
All 500 people of the village will benefit from the project by making potable water accessible. Included are 100 women who will have the potential to generate income from produce sales. Also included are families raising cattle that will benefit from the animal drinking troughs.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Eric Braaten

Comments
This project accomplishes a number of independent things, affecting a large number of people, on a very modest budget.

Health benefits will be achieved through increased availability of potable water and improved nutrition from increased produce consumption. In addition the work of caring for cattle is reduced considerably, freeing up time for more productive use.

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 Shannon Smithers, of Van Alstyne, TX, USA, with the help of friends and family of Eric Braaten.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Eric Braaten of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Eric and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Mali.