Location
Velyka Lepetykha, Velyka Lepetykha Region, Khersonska Oblast, Ukraine
Community Description
Velyka Lepetykha is a rural community of 7,000 inhabitants located in the Khersonska Oblast in the south of Ukraine. Khersonska is an agricultural oblast in which money and outside resources are scarce.
Water in Velyka Lepetykha is filled with contaminants, including nitrates and excess sulfur, and every day in the school’s cafeteria, the students eat the lunches which were made with the local contaminated tap water.
Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 teaches 556 students from the 1st to the 11th grades.
Local funding, unfortunately, is currently unavailable for the purchase and installation of a water filter within the school’s cafeteria. A water filter, however, would greatly improve the quality and cleanliness of the water used for the children’s tea and the cooking of their lunches.
Project Description
This project is to purchase and install a water filter into the kitchen of the school to provide clean water for cooking and drinking.
In addition, a program will be initiated to test the local drinking water and to educate the students and community about the health effects of the contaminants found therein.
Profiltron, a water filter company in Saint Petersburg, supplied through Zaporizhia, Ukraine, has worked to find the ideal filter for the needs of the school.
The Aquaphor Viking Plus Filter is comprised of a stainless steel body with a two-stage replaceable filter cartridge. It can produce clean water at the rate of 10 liters per minute. It is designed to purify 40,000 liters of drinkable water.
The filtration system removes impurities such as chlorine, heavy metal ions, organic compounds, and all other water-soluble contaminants.
The maintenance staff of Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 will install the system at no charge. The project funding includes the cost of the first replacement filter cartridge, which must be installed in 7 months. Thereafter, replacement is done at a nominal cost every few years.
Following the installation of the first replacement cartridge, the school will support further filter cartridge replacement through donations from the community, including parents. The school’s staff is extremely dedicated to ensuring that the children have continuing access to clean, safe water for consumption.
Project funds will also purchase a water testing kit by which the water used in the school will be tested. The school’s nurse will conduct lessons within the school, using these results, to share with students the importance of boiling water to purify it before consumption and the benefits of household water filtration systems.
Project Impact
556 students and 48 teachers and staff will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Megan Trout
Comments
This project will provide clean water, resulting in the improved health and well-being of all who attend the school each day. It utilizes a proven technology that meets the precise needs of the school. The significant local participation and the included training work to ensure sustainability.
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 Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust 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 Megan 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.