Picture bank

By Blue Planet Network Posted on Wed 18 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

Namaste everyone,

PWX has a very sophisticated picture management feature. We can show thumbnails and medium and large size of photos. We can also show selected ones on our home page. And all the text is searchable.

When photos are submitted inside documents, please realize that most of the times they are not seen, and also can't be found thru searches.

Its a bit more effort, but the rewards are much greater if photos are submitted separately.

This application has all the photos inside a document and another one has photo inside a spreadsheet!

Thank you!

Axillary activitities

By Humana People to People India Posted on Wed 25 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

Hellow

I know it is too late for me to put a question for the project, I hope you will mange to response me back.

Regarding the gender gap what you mean that you will work for gender equality ? are the women part of designing the project concept or part of implementation?

they are the beneficiary ultimately of the project but how you involve them through out the project period.

Kusum

Axillary activitities

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Fri 26 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

We mean involving the women to be part of the project. They are involved in the planning and implementation process as they supply
vital information being the most vulnerable in these communities going longer distances in search of water. They support in the monitoring and supervision during the project implementation and at the same time be trained as pump care takers and technicians.

EDUCATION by participation?

By Bank-On-Rain Posted on Fri 19 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi Idriss,

How will your participation of the people that will use the wells (is this predominantly women?) drive the education process of where, how the water arrives at the point of use? You mention the difficulty the locals have in understanding the engineering drawings, will there be simpler, easier to understand "pictorial" renderings of this? Also hygiene and sanitation, how will this be shown as different from the usual health department initiatives and will make an understandable connection between poor hygiene and illness? I am interested at education being at a level, appropriate culturally that the people will understand and be influenced to change their habits (here specifically H & S)

CASUDI

EDUCATION by participation?

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Fri 26 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi CASUDI
In that respect, we conduct community Training workshop using local languages as a medium of instruction with pictorial teaching aid followed by role play and practical demonstration by participants.
Thanks

Budget, Beneficiaries, Phases, etc.

By Team Blue Posted on Fri 19 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi Idriss,
I extracted the following from your application:
New Construction
Village Target District Beneficiaries (Children)
Katongha Primary School Port Loko 225 (225)
Borup Secondary School Port Loko 125 (125)
Kebawana Community Moyamba 150 (41)
Foya Brewah Primary School Moyamba 202 (202)
Simbeck Community Moyamba 196 (95)
Nyamaina Primary School Moyamba 198 (198)

For Repairs
Village Target District Beneficiaries
Daressalaam Community Port Loko 1000 (400)
Royieben Community Port Loko 350 (100)
Salina Gbaya Community Moyamba 235 (76)
Moyomboma Community Moyamba 179 (40)

- The number of beneficiaries in your application, doesn't match this demographic information. Could you clarify this?
- The budget numbers do not include well repair. Are the numbers embedded in the new construction? Could you break the numbers down, showing the cost of new construction vs. repair?
- To ensure sustainability and promote gender equality, would it be worth training one woman in each community to maintain and repair the pumps/wells?
- If the groundwater and streams are contaminated, it would lead one to believe that the water in shallow wells is also contaminated. Is that the case? What about H2S tests to check for basic quality of water?
- Why are the groundwater and streams unsafe? Is it sanitation or some other chemical run-off? Should sanitation be addressed? Could there be more work done upstream to prevent contamination?
- Given that the 2 districts are 175km apart, wouldn't it make administration and management easier if the proposal was divided into 2 phases? For example, address the needs in Port Loko in Phase I and then Moyamba in Phase II, or vice versa?
- Or focus on well repair in Phase I and then address new construction in Phase II?

Thanks,
Madan Kumar

Budget, Beneficiaries, Phases, etc.

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Fri 26 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi Madan,
Thanks for your questions.
-On the number of beneficiaries, there is a change in the selected communities and their respective population. The revised information has already been posted.
-The same also for the budget. The one attached now is meant for only the construction of six new wells. Therefore the cost for the repairs is not embedded in the new budget.
-Yes. we intend to train willing and able bodied women in pump care taking, repairs and maintenance.
- Indeed they could be contaminated if the ground water or shallow wells are open and are not protected. It is therefore necessary to do H2S test to know the water quality and take necessary measures for purification.
-The ground water or streams are unsafe because they are open and unprotected. It could be either chemical run off or poor sanitation practices like open defecation or other poor waste disposals. Therefore, in case of such happenings, there is need to address the sanitation problems by educating the communities on basic hygiene and sanitation practices and more work could be needed for up streams.
-We have regional offices and field staff in each of the proposed districts which makes administrative and management of the project easier.
Thank you very much

Budget, Beneficiaries, Phases, etc.

By Team Blue Posted on Mon 29 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi Idriss,
There is legacy information in the application that leads to contradictions and possible miscommunication. My excuse, too, for misreading the application;)

Here are the things that I noticed and a quick clean up will ensure that we are always talking about the current application and relevant information.

There are two supporting documents that have different information:
- PWX_Additional_Information_for_SFYDP-2.doc
- CONSTRUCTION_OF_SIX_NEW_...DISTRICTS-5.docx

If my understanding is correct, then PWX_Addtional_Information…doc should be deleted. However, there is useful information in this document about the toilets at the schools. So, could you paste the information about the toilets into the CONSTRUCTION_….dock document?

Based on my understanding, the number of People Getting Safe Drinking Water (counting only the children), at the top of the application, should be 886 not 1,126.

What will you be able to do differently in this project to ensure that there are no missing pumps, prevent sand cave-in and alleviate cracking of the concrete, which can lead to unprotected or unusable wells? Community ownership and training will certainly help the pump situation. Anything else?

Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts or have you explored the following combination: repairing some of the existing wells, construction of fewer wells and the construction of toilets at the schools? I'm just trying to see if there is way to use limited funds and maximize the overall, long-term benefits to the community.

thanks,
Madan

Budget, Beneficiaries, Phases, etc.

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Thu 01 Sep 2011, over 12 years ago

Hi Madan,
You are right. The additional information meant for the revised proposal should be deleted.
The total number of beneficiaries(1,126) i.e. Schools, boys=452 and girls =328= 780 whilst the total for the communities including women and children is= 346. To ensure that there are no missing pumps, anti theft giant padlocks will be provided for each pump and to avoid well caving, wells will be lined and sunk by well cured culverts.
Indeed the community ownership and training will surely help including the provi8sion of the necessary toolkit for sustainability.

The intention was to repair old non functional wells and to construct few wells where there are no wells and the second phase would have been the construction of toilets in schools but looking at the total cost, we taught it wise to start with the provision of drinking water while finding ways to support repairs and construction of toilets in schools.

Budget, Beneficiaries, Phases, etc.

By Team Blue Posted on Sun 04 Sep 2011, over 12 years ago

Idress:

I did not see any attachments for the There are two supporting documents that have different information:
- PWX_Additional_Information_for_SFYDP-2.doc
- CONSTRUCTION_OF_SIX_NEW_...DISTRICTS-5.docx

Pls resend, Rick

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By East Meets West Foundation Posted on Tue 10 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

I. Water quality/quantity
1.) Has water quality and quantity testing been done at the proposed well locations to make sure that the water is safe for drinking purposes and that there is enough water to meet the demands of the targeted population? In case there are problems with the water quality, are there any possible solutions (either treating the water or abandoning the proposed drilling location)? A number of existing wells do not have water during the dry season, will this be a potential problem for the proposed project locations too?

2.) Is there any plan for periodic water quality testing?

II. Institution
1.) The proposed budget includes the cost for "WatSan Committee officer" - does that include the cost for all members of the Watsan Committee (which is defined as "at least two") or for just one member? Do Committee members work full-time during project implementation?

2.) What is the operation mechanism of the WatSan Committee? (Do they meet periodically, is there a Committee head?, etc.)

III. Capacity building
1.) Should there be clear instructions on the system for training and handing-over of responsibility for new WatSan Committee members (who are actually O&M staff when the well starts to operate)? It would be important to have such system in place in case both of the trained technicians leave the community/school or quit their jobs. This will make the community project more self-sustained;

2.) As for repair projects, will there be the same institutional arrangement (WatSan Committee established)?

For now, it's clear from the project document that SFYDP will be in charge of the repairs of broken pumps "where communities do not have the skill or knowledge to carry out the repairs themselves". Will there be training provided to the local community people who will be responsible and qualified for O&M after the pumps have been repaired as well?

IV. Sustainability:
1.) Will the proposed user fee (Le300 per HH) be sufficient to cover O&M in the long run? (i.e. payment of operating staff (2 technicians), maintenance of well, pump apparatus and periodic chlorination).

Could you please also verify the contradiction of information: in the "Community Organization Description" (of the project document, it is defined that the user fee will cover periodic chlorination while in the "Sustainability Plan", chlorination is described to be "at the expense of the government". Which is correct?

2.) Will each well be able to meet the water demand of 100 percent of the relevant community population? If not, what is the percentage of population that is served by the well? (It would be good to see the scope of impact highlighted by that figure).

V. Community Participation:
1.) The project document mentions that community members can participate and learn about O&M work. Could you elaborate on ways that their participation is organized? (do they have a representation body, are there meetings organized between the community members and construction staff, WatSan Committee members and/or SFYDP?)

2.) Are the community members/schools updated on project documents/related drawings?

3.) Is there any awareness raising activities done on the benefits of clean water before the survey on well/water demand and willingness-to-pay is carried out?

As the project mentioned, raising awareness on sanitation is very important for water supply projects since bad sanitation habits can negatively affect water sources. Do you have any specific plans for community awareness raising in terms of sanitation and hygiene?

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Tue 17 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

Hi,

Thanks for your response.

I. Water Quality

1.) Water quality testing has not been carried out at present. Currently there is only one water quality testing lab in the country, but we are investigating using it's services in order to increase the quality and reliability of our projects. We are also in the process of importing HACH field test kits through a partner, and hope to include this in future projects.

At present the communities are educated on household treatment processing such as boiling, chlorine and SODIS and are told there is no guarantee that the well water is 100% safe.

For the region in question, we have conducted a survey of wells which have dried up and found 9m to be the deepest depth at which wells dry up. For this reason we dig wells 15m deep. Also, we dig wells in March, during the dry season to ensure that the water table depth is adequate for the entire year, including a safety margin for any variation.

2.) Once we receive the water quality testing kit we will form a plan for periodic testing.

II. Institution

1.) Unless I am mistaken, there is no “WatSan Committee officer” in the budget. The “WatSan officer” is the cost for Safer Future’s WatSan programme officer. Wages for the community WatSan committees are decided by the individual committees. Usually only the two pump caretakers receive any reimbursement, though it varies from community to community.

Committee members are trained normally for a period of 2 days on well maintenance and hygiene with 4 further days for practical training for minor repairs. Participation in training is part of the community contribution.

2.) Though SFYDP provides guidance, the community WatSan Committee ultimately organizes themselves in the best way they see fit. It is risky to enforce any predefined organizational structures on the group. We will only intervene if we find upon monitoring that the maintenance is not effective. From our experience community WatSan Committees tend to meet once or twice per month.

III. Capacity Building

1.) I am not sure what you mean by “instructions”. Two days of training are given to the WatSan committee and caretakers with 4 further days practical training for minor repairs. There is a pamphlet on well hygiene, however we often train illiterate members of the community in order to build the capacity of the uneducated population so written "instructions" are minimal. A minimum of two caretakers are trained to avoid skills being lost by migration. It is the responsibility of the community WatSan committee to manage any hand-over, and this issue is brought to attention during training.

2.) For small maintenance tasks such as replacing chains, pump caretakers are responsible for these minor repairs and are trained accordingly. In our experience, parts are affordable if a user fee is collected. A small amount of spare parts and tools are provided and it is ensured that a local supplier is identified. In the event of the community requiring large repairs they are able to contact a local technician or SFYDP by phone. The village chief and local sanitation authorities are given the contact details of SFYDP. This system has worked to date. We have had pumps working for more than 4 years without our assistance being required.

IV. Sustainability
1.) From our experience this amount is sufficient. Although smaller villages will collect less, there will also be less wear and tear. This task is one of the first responsibilities of the community WatSan committee.

Apologies for the ambiguity on this point. Chlorination requirements vary from location to location as the Ministry of Health and Sanitation do not chlorinate 100% at present of the villages in the country – though coverage is increasing. For this reason we have included this in the budget to provide chlorination for all wells at present, and this is accounted for when calculating a user fee. Caretakers are trained accordingly in the dosing of chlorine.

2.) From our experience, the wells provided for the number of people are sufficient. The attached word document at the end of the proposal details which wells are for 100% of the community and which are just for the schools.

V. Community Participation

1.) Prior to construction, there is a village meeting to explain the project and to answer questions from all stakeholders. Members of the community are encouraged to participate as unskilled labor and are often forthcoming. A WASH education session which deal with household water treatment of the well water and hygiene present an opportunity for discussions. Questions regarding the project are also answered at the build site, and people wish to approach the workers and make enquiries.

2.) Communities generally do not have the ability to interpret technical drawings. The india Mk2 is selected for its reliability and the established supply of spare parts and technicians. Stakeholders such as the village chief and health authorities are normally informed when a proposal is successful and are kept at the front of developments.

3.) As an organization we work in specific areas and promote hygiene throughout programs such as CLTS, well rehabilitation/construction, SODIS advocacy and school water supply. No specific hygiene promotion specifically linked to this proposal was carried out prior to the project survey as there was not the funding for this. As mentioned in the “Community Organisation” section of the proposal, hygiene education is included in the project which includes managing of household water, hand washing, water storage, cleaning, food preparation etc. Due to work commitments, it is generally not feasible for all villagers attend the WASH session, so it ensured that key stakeholders and demographics such as youths, household heads, women and influential figures such as religious leaders.

Hopefully this answers some of your queries, if you have any more questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Best Regards

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By The Samburu Project Posted on Tue 17 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

Idriss,
Would you mind clarifying one thing for me: is there a current plan for water quality testing? I see your answers above, but I can not figure out if the wells you dig and repair will be tested or if that part of the program is still being developed?
Thanks,
Robert

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Wed 18 Aug 2010, over 13 years ago

Hi Robert,

There is currently no plan for water quality testing as we do not have access to equipment or training. It is a weakness which we are very aware of and are working to rectify - but we would not be able to make promises on timescales for this current proposal. The hope is to have water quality testing kits and training provided by a partner who is visiting in October.

Currently we always inform villages that the water source is not assured to be completely clean, and training in household water treatment (SODIS, boiling and chlorination) is given. Unfortunately methods such as biosand and ceramic filters are not widely available here due to cost and supply restrictions.

If you have any more questions/suggestions we would appreciate your input.

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By Bank-On-Rain Posted on Fri 19 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

Hello Idriss,

Once water quality testing kits become available and if issues are identified, would the periodic chlorination be applied to the well itself or to water at individual households? Chlorination at the well would seen to be very difficult as a dug well does not represent a quantifiable volume for dosage calculation. Perhaps I have misinterpreted the intended response to a water quality issue?

Issues related to water quality; capacity building, community participation

By Safer Future Youth Development Project Posted on Fri 26 Aug 2011, over 12 years ago

No. The periodic chlorination is not possible because it could not represent a quantifiable volume for dosage calculation and at the same time, chlorine is expensive and very difficult to access. So, household water chlorination will also be difficult Therefore, we will recommend the use of household water treatment using solar water disinfection(SODIS) or the boiling method.