This project has been successfully completed, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Julie Kierski. To see the history of the project CLICK HERE.
The project was to install a rainwater catchment system at the school, serving the 200 female students. As it turned out, the project was extended to the boys’ dorm as well, thus serving an additional 200 male students.
Julie reports:
The project at the Provincial Teacher Training Center took about 3 weeks from start to finish (workers didn’t work on rainy days). It started with measuring the building to prepare the materials.
The zinc gutter that catches the rain off of the roof was created at the shop and then brought to the school. The hinges to attach the gutter were also prepared at the shop. Attaching the gutter to the roof of the two-story building called for a ladder truck.
The initial plan we talked about was to attach gutters to the front and back of the girls’ dorm. When actual work began, the workers decided that the truck would not be able to access the back of the building. Because of this, the school decided to attach gutters to the front of the girls’ and boys’ dorm. This increased the initial cost estimate by about $50, which the school covered.
After the gutters were attached to the front of the building, the workers began attaching the pipes that would lead to cisterns in the bathrooms. Holes were also created in the wall that the cisterns are against to allow for overflow water to drain to the outside.
Julie reports on the success of the project:
The school administration was very pleased with this project. The Director of Studies and another administrator thought this project was necessary and important because it met the need for water for the students living in the dorms.
Although this project is only useful in the rainy season, they said that since the rainy season is for 6 months in Cambodia, the project will provide a lot of water. They were pleased that it worked out to provide water for both the girls’ and boys’ dorms since both dorms were lacking water.
They also said that they purposely chose and used good materials for the project because longevity is important. They said the materials would last for maybe twenty or thirty years and not break or need any repair. The school also mentioned that they will save a lot of money on water costs.
The students I talked to were also pleased with the project. They mentioned that all the students were very happy when the project was completed because now the rain overflows the cistern.
One student expressed sadness that the cisterns cannot hold all the rain water and overflows to the outside of the building. The students said they use the water for bathing, cleaning the bathrooms, washing dishes, washing clothes, and even preparing food. They said that rain water is clean so it is suitable for drinking and cooking.
One of the male students said that now the bathrooms don’t smell because they have more water to use to clean the bathrooms and toilets. They also commented that even when it rains a little bit, the cistern gets filled up. This is due to the fact that the gutter to catch the water from the roof as well as the pipes that lead the water from the gutter to the cisterns are wide.
Overall, they are very thankful for Water Charity’s support of improving their living conditions.
We again wish to thank The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust and the friends and family of Julie Kierski for providing the funds for this project.
