Location
Nemba, Village of Gakenke, District of Gakenke, Northern Province, Rwanda
Community Description
Nemba is located in the mountainous Northern Province of Rwanda. Tucked in the Nemba valley and surrounded by mount Kabuye, Nemba is a cool and beautiful place to live.
Nemba is also a major trading hub for agriculture products such as pineapple and Maracuja (passion fruit), and is a major coffee production area. This makes Nemba a vibrant area with a dense population, housing a dynamic market that is open two days a week bringing people from 
all hilltops and other valleys.
This community is served by several health centers and one district hospital. One of these health centers is Nemba Health Center. The center serves a population catchment of over 34,000 people with average daily visits of 140 patients.
The health center provides essential services to the surrounding population, including general consultation services for children and adults, vaccination, maternal care, family planning, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) of HIV/AIDS, a nutrition program, health education, and wound care.
In addition, the health center provides laboratory tests, and pharmacy services, and supports a network of community health workers who work closely with the community to sensitize the population on health-related issues and draw them to utilize the health facility.
The health center is well run by a competent titulaire (director) and a qualified set of staff for each of the main services. PCV Ahmed Naguib has initiated programs to teach staff on the use of computers and electronic tools for daily activities, and improving the quality of work, staff efficiency and satisfaction.
The facility recently acquired a new laboratory facility to conduct a wider range of lab tests improving patient quality of care. Despite recent renovations of the existing facilities with added patient waiting area and a renovated wound care space, many other areas including sanitation continue to be inadequate, and pose risk to the health center staff, patients, and the surrounding environment alike.
While the Nemba health facility enjoys a reliable source of electricity and running water, it lacks in sanitation conditions. Currently, wastewater from the laboratory and the consultation rooms is empty into a ditch that runs onto the dirt road behind the health center. Rainwater runoff and water used for hospital cleaning are also added into the mix.
The current conditions poses a health risk to the patients, pedestrians, surrounding community, and the environment as a whole, especially from wastewater from the lab, with dyes and contaminated samples.
Project Description
This project is to construct a septic tank that will collect wastewater in a contained and hygienic environment. The underground tank will be built using local materials and local skilled and unskilled labor.
Project funds will be used to purchase materials, such as stones, gravel, sand, cement, bricks, covers, and hardware, and to pay labor costs.
The health center is contributing 15% of the project funds.
Project Impact
18,000 residents of area surrounding health center will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Ahmed Naguib
Comments
This project remediates a dangerous health hazard that calls for rapid action. This simple and cost-effective solution isolates the contaminants and protects the community at large.
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 the Elmo Foundation.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Ahmed Naguib of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by him and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.