Location
Segou, Senegal
Community Description
Segou is a medium-sized village in Senegal of about 1,200 people. It is Pula Futa by ethnicity and almost everyone has the last name Diallo.
The village is nestled right at the foothills at the start of the Guinea mountain range, and houses the local border crossing post.
The abundant supply of bamboo and pebbles from stream beds provides readily available materials that the villagers have used to landscape their compounds, making the village very picturesque.
A 20- meter waterfall, hiking trails up the plateau behind the village, and occasional chimpanzee sightings, serve as significant tourist attractions.
Presently, very few tourists visit Segou due to the lack of infrastructure. However, over 1,000 tourists visit the near by village of Dindefello to see the waterfalls there each year, and the only way to get to Dindefello is by going through Segou.
Project Description
A new well will be constructed to serve a new eco-tourism lodge that is being built. The new lodge will consist of five new huts, a restaurant, and a guard house.
Project funds will be used for building the well and the construction of a water tower. Funds will be used for digging the well, the labor of skilled masons, materials (cement and rebar) and transportation of materials. The community will participate in the funding of all aspects of the construction.
The well will be hand dug, with the top few feet lined with cement, following the construction style of the other wells in the village. A short rock and cement wall will be added to the top to prevent anyone from falling in. The water tower will be a four legged cement structure, 5 meters tall, with a flat cement platform where a series of plastic water barrels will sit.
Initially, water will be drawn from the well by rope, pulley, and bucket. A future project will be the addition of an extraction pump, and another pump for moving water from the level of the top of the well to the water tower.
The permanent eco lodge will be constructed on unclaimed property just outside of the village. It will be built of concrete in a well-suited location. This will prevent the problems that plagued prior efforts to build a lodge in the community.
The whole grounds of the lodge will be terraced, and there is already an earthen dam to control erosion just above the proposed site.
The lodge will be run as a private/public enterprise. This will ensure that there will be funds available for reinvestment to sustain the lodge.
40% of the profits will be reinvested in the business, 50% will pay the staff, all natives of Segou, and 10% will go directly to the community.
In addition, every visiting tourist will pay a “tax” of 1,000 F.CFA (approximately $2 USD) 50% of which will go to the regional governance structure and 50% will go directly to the village of Segou.
Project Impact
The 1,200 people of Segou will directly benefit from the project. In addition, the financial capacity of the local governance structure, which serves roughly 5,000 people, will be improved.
The lodge will directly employ 12 people, indirectly employ another 12, and provide a significant source of funding for projects and environmental protection for the entire community.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Zach Swank
Comments
An eco tourist lodge will provide great benefit to the community at large, as it will attract tourism dollars to this village that currently is lacking economic resources.
The well that will be built through this project adds significant benefit to the concept, and makes the entire project economically feasible.
While water projects are our major concern, the additional economic development benefits of this project make it a truly worthwhile endeavor.
Dollar Amount of Project
$499.44
Donations Collected to Date
$499.44 plus additional amounts for future projects.
Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of the Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded. Thank you to those that supported this project.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Zach Swank of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Zach and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Senegal.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.