Georgia

Community Description
As the regional center of Samtskhe-Javakheti in southern Georgia, Akhaltsikhe is home to approximately 30,000 people. Every evening from spring through fall, the central park is filled with young men smoking. There are bars and gambling halls on every street in the main part of town, and virtually every family makes their own wine.

The old and decaying sports field in town is almost always empty, except for small groups of boys sitting around the outside, smoking and drinking. Indeed, in Georgian culture, where heavy drinking is encouraged and a pack of cigarettes can be purchased for less than the price of a banana, there are many barriers that prevent men and boys from living a healthy lifestyle.

This fact contributes to a major public health concern in Georgia. The life expectancy for Georgian men is only 67 years, compared to 76 for American men. According to the Georgian National Center for Disease Control, 51.1% of men smoke, 59.4% regularly consume alcohol and nearly 59% are overweight.

Fortunately, there are people and organizations working hard to buck the trends. The Akhaltsikhe Boys’ Fitness Center is one such organization.

The Fitness Center is located in a room connected to the town's Armenian school. It is the only fitness club in Akhaltsikhe. A former boxing champion, now the town's Emergency Services Coordinator, operates the center on a strictly volunteer basis. He conducts boxing lessons and makes the gym generally available for anyone to use every evening, Monday through Friday.

The center is equipped with an old boxing ring, several heavily worn punching bags held together by duct tape, a small array of rusty kettle bells and dumbbells and a bench station. There is no running water, no working bathroom and no shower. People who use the gym have no way to wash their hands or wipe off equipment. After sweating profusely during their workouts, young men and boys get dressed in “clean” clothes and go home, still sweating and unclean. If someone needs to use the bathroom while at the gym, they simply go outside behind the building.

These basic sanitation issues not only pose real health concerns, but also dissuade the target population from even coming to the fitness center. Indeed, the number of people using it is less than half what it was a few years ago when running water was still working.

The community benefiting from this project will be young men and boys who live in Akhaltsikhe. This population is extremely susceptible to peer pressure and cultural traditions that can lead to them making unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Project Description
This project will renovate the bathroom and shower facilities at the Akhaltsikhe Boys’ Fitness Center. By the conclusion of this project, the fitness center will have six functioning showers and two toilets.

Fortunately, much of the infrastructure is already in place. Six tiled shower stalls and the two toilets already exist. However, the piping needs to be replaced and connected to the main water supply, a water heater needs to be purchased and a pump needs to be installed.

Project funds will be used to purchase a water tank, water pump, water meter, electric water heater, electric meter, pipes, and fittings. In addition, they will pay for the required skilled labor.

Work will be performed by a qualified local plumber, the fitness center’s director, the Peace Corps volunteer, and his two local counterparts at the fitness center. In addition, the young men and boys who use the fitness center will help clean the facilities.

Once the renovation is complete, those who use the facilities will be asked to contribute a small amount of money every month to help pay for water, electricity, and maintenance.

Project Impact
This project is expected to benefit 140 people, consisting of the approximately 35 boys ages 12-19, another 35 young men in their twenties and early thirties, who currently use the center, and an equal number of people of both categories expected to return to the center upon the resumption of water service.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Sean Fredericks

Comments
The creation of six functioning showers and two toilets will benefit the region's young men and boys, now and into the future, and will play a part in helping to encourage active lifestyles over sedentary and unhealthy alternatives.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

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
$555.00

Community Description
Guria is a region in Western Georgia located near the Black Sea, and is comprised of several small villages and the regional capital of Ozurgeti. The Guria region suffers from exceedingly high unemployment resulting largely in the economic depression of the entire area. Currently almost all of the factories in the region that at one point in time were profitable are now shut down.

The available education is of low quality, and those students who do receive adequate education leave the region to find work elsewhere.

The town of Ozurgeti does not have a permanent water supply. Sometimes there is only water in the morning or at night, and other times none at all.

Community members from all over the region use the services offered at the Guria Youth Resource Center, a local community center with the mission to support education, professional development, and active citizenship of youth and other community members in the area. The services currently provided by the resource center are English language courses, computer classes, volunteerism development, and civic education and training. The Guria Youth Resource Center also gives local community members access to a library and an Internet Café. At least 200 community members use the resource center monthly.

The bathroom facilities located at the Guria Youth Resource Center are not suitable for the use of children and other community members. Most days the toilet cannot flush because the water tank does not work properly.

The window has broken glass and does not close, and during the winter months the bathroom is unbearably cold. The facilities themselves are unsanitary and there is not even a working door to offer any privacy for the bathroom.

Project Description
This project is to repair and upgrade the bathroom and install a water tank at the Guria Youth Resource Center.

A 500 liter plastic water tank will be placed on the roof of the bathroom. The roof is concrete and will serve as a stable level base.

A water pump, previously installed by the organization, is located next to the latrine. The pump creates sufficient pressure for the water to reach the second floor, where the community center is located, and the roof where, the new water tank will be installed.

Plastic piping will connect the pump to the tank. A downpipe will also be installed along the exterior of the wall from the tank to the toilet bowl and the latrine.

The budget also includes the purchase of locks for the doors so that visitors to the center may use the bathroom privately. A window will also be purchased and installed. Project funds will be used to purchase all materials, which will be acquired locally.

The work will be done by local community members.

Project Impact
200 community members will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Rachael Evarts

Comments
With a large water tank there will be water readily available to meet the sanitation needs. Other improvements will make the bathroom more usable, especially in the winter.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

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
$555.00

Community Description
Bolnisi is a small town in an ethnically diverse region of southern Georgia. It is primarily made up of Georgians and Armenian ethnic minorities, while the majority in the region are Azerbaijani ethnic minorities who live in the surrounding villages.

The town itself is serviced by five schools, and there are schools in the surrounding villages.

The Bolnisi Youth Center caters to underprivileged youth and women of all groups, providing English, computer and Georgian language classes, as well as other trainings and excursions, and allows local youth free access to the Internet.

The Youth Center's bathroom is currently very unsanitary, with a toilet that does not flush and often leaks, and no facilities to wash hands.

The townstead only supplies water for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

Project Description
This project is to upgrade the bathroom, putting in a new toilet and a working sink, and repairing the shower.

In addition, the sink in the kitchen will be repaired to allow for food and drink service as well as washing dishes.

Finally, a water tank will be installed to provide constant running water throughout the day.

A local plumber will install the water pipes, toilet and sinks.

Project Impact
200 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Shawn Basey

Comments
This project provides a series of needed upgrades to this well-attended youth center. In addition to improving the comfort and wellbeing of those who utilize the services, the project will improve the overall sanitation at the center, thereby reducing disease and improving health.

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, with the help of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Shawn Basey.

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

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

Community Description

The community served by this project is Public School #5 in the city of Rustavi. Rustavi is located in the southeast of Georgia and is the country’s 4th largest city, with a population of approximately 115,000.

During the Soviet period, the city was a major industrial hub, but since independence, most of the factories have closed and the city suffers from high unemployment and economic depression.

School #5 is located in the 17th micro-district of Rustavi, one of the most underserved in the city. The school has approximately 1,000 students from grades 1-12 and 87 teachers. The school’s sports hall serves as a center for after-school dance groups and sports teams (basketball, soccer, and volleyball) from surrounding micro-districts.

The sports hall is a separate building behind the school and houses the gym and dance hall. Students from all grades use the sports hall several times a week when they attend physical education class. Other students from surrounding neighborhoods also come to the sports hall to participate in after school activities.

Project Description
This project is to bring running water to the sports hall of Rustavi School #5, and also to restore two existing squat toilets to functionality. The water will be used for drinking, handwashing, and sanitation.

The main school building has running water on the first level. Water pipes will be extended from the main building to provide water for the sports hall.

Two sinks with taps will be installed, one in the girl’s changing room and one in the boy’s changing room. Soap dispensers and towel holders will also be installed.

The existing squat toilets will be cleaned, repaired, and connected to the water system so as to allow them to be flushed.

The work will be done by a workman at the school and by two of the physical education teachers.

Project funds will pay for 30 meters of water and waste pipes, as well as fixtures and materials.

The community will provide for the labor to complete the project.

Once the work is done, a poster drawing contest will be conducted among 6th graders. The posters, which will be hung in each of the bathrooms, will remind everyone to wash their hands.

Project Impact
1,200 students, including students who attend School #5 as well as students from other schools who come to the sports hall for after-school activities, will benefit from this project. In addition, 87 teachers will benefit.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Peter Hendricks

Comments
This important project will bring potable water to the school for use by a large number of students, teachers, and visitors. It utilizes existing infrastructure to enable the work to be accomplished at a modest cost.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

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 Peter Hendricks of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Peter 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
Marneuli is a town of about 20,000, 30 km from Tbilisi (about an hour by public transportation). The town is about 80% Azerbaijani, 15% Georgian, and 5% Armenian, Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, and other. As a result, Marneuli is considered a minority town and there have been numerous programs to encourage ethnic integration.

One of these programs was the creation of the Marneuli Youth Center (MYC). The MYC serves youth aged 11-21 of all ethnicities through computer courses, language courses, and sports classes. Altogether there are about 250-300 participants (depending the time of year).

There are at least 100 youth who participate in sports activities. Many of them do not have access to showers at their homes, which creates a serious sanitation problem for them after practicing boxing, kickboxing, gymnastics, or weight lifting. In addition, the weightlifting equipment, gymnastics mats, and boxing ring all need to be cleaned regularly with hot water. The facility presently cannot provide for these functions.

Project Description
This project will provide a steady supply of water to the Marneuli Youth Center (MYC). There is an existing cistern that can be used for storage. A water meter, water pump, and pipes will be purchased and installed in order to fill the cistern and bring the water from the cistern to the building. Additionally, new Turkish toilets will be purchased, as well as sinks, shower heads, and a water heater for inside of the building.

The existing cistern holds about 2,000 gallons, and is located on top of an adjacent building (owned by the youth center) about 20 feet off the ground. It was originally the back of a tanker truck, but has been retrofitted to work as a water cistern (this is fairly common in Georgia). This means that it has been cleaned and there are pipe fittings leading into the tank and out of it.

The cistern is filled from the city water. To do this it needs to be pumped from the city main (which has very low pressure and will not force the water up to the tank) through an existing line. Currently this main is closed off but will be opened when MYC pays the city to install the meter.

The water supply is reliable. Water runs in Marneuli on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays for at least six hours. On any of these days the pump can be turned on and water will be pumped into the cistern. Once the cistern is filled, it should only take around 30 minutes to refill it on any particular "water day." The water itself is potable and does not need to be filtered.

The pump will be placed in the hole, which will subsequently be covered after all renovations are completed. Although this "pump and cistern" system may seem like a strange method, this is how all of Marneuli "draws" water since water is not turned on every day.

The city government requires that anyone hooked up to a water main install a meter in order to measure how much water they are using. The city installs the meter and this will also be placed in the existing cavity, directly connected to the main and next to the pump.

Pipe will be run from the main to the pump, from the pump to the cistern, and finally from the cistern to the building. About 15 yards of piping will be required to connect the system together. Plastic piping will be used to avoid higher pipe costs and welding costs. Marneuli winters rarely stay below zero for an extended period of time and this system should cause the least problems.

A gas water heater will be purchased and installed. This is the best choice, since gas is much cheaper than electricity in Marneuli. The water is heated as it runs through the apparatus instead of heating up a small water reservoir. This method is used by most of Marneuli and besides being cost effective it heats water very well. There is an existing gas line in the bathroom where the heater will be placed, making installation easy.

The MYC's administrators and participants will do the work with full cooperation from the PCV. Several participants at the center have knowledge of running pipes, installing pumps, and installing toilets and they are willing to help. All of the fixtures and materials can be procured locally.

Project Impact
250-300 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Benjamin Bamberger

Comments
This project accomplishes a lot with a small amount of money to be used for fixtures and materials. It makes MYC a more functional and healthful place for people to come together and utilize the services offered.

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 Benjamin of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or other projects in the country of service.

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