Grant is Live!

Who is ready for some FUN-draising?

Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well. Things are going well in Togo and I received some very exciting news this morning. My small grant project is now LIVE on the Peace Corps website and accepting donations. Here is the link:

What is this project?

Every volunteer in Togo has the opportunity to do a small grant project to help meet community-defined priorities. In collaboration with my work partners, we decided that the best use for this project would be to build latrines at the middle school where I teach. My middle school has over 300 students this year and there have never been latrines of any kind. With no alternatives, students and staff are forced to relieve themselves in the bush surrounding the school. 

This is our school. A previous volunteer painted a mural to encourage mosquito net use. I hope to leave my mark on the school as well.

We will also be implementing a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) committee who will be in charge of training the population on proper latrine usage, good hand washing habits, and will be taking care of the latrines for years to come. The WASH committee will be composed of committed students, staff, parents, and community members. This project is an important step in our community-wide effort to end open defecation. 

Why are we doing this project?

There are many reasons that this project is necessary:

1. Imagine attending a middle school without a private place to relieve yourself. Does that sound like a safe and healthy learning environment? Adequate sanitation facilities are linked to improved attendance rates. 

2. There is a cholera outbreak in Togo that is working its way north. Cholera is a highly contagious disease, especially in areas that lack sanitation facilities. We can mitigate the spread of this deadly illness by building latrines.

3. In an already overcrowded school, disease spreads quickly. By constructing latrines and emphasizing good hygiene habits, the spread of disease can be slowed and attendance rates will improve. 

4. Community members will be the ones implementing this project, leading to a sense of pride and capacity building. One of our Peace Corps goals is to increase the capacity of our community. They will learn a lot about community development through this experience and can continue to work together in the future. 

5. This is part of a wider effort to end open-defecation in our area. Individual families will see the value of latrines and hand-washing practices and will be encouraged to implement it in their own homes. 

How are we doing this project?

This project is missing one thing: funds. Once we get fully funded, we will be able to begin latrine construction. If the project does not get fully funded, it will be delayed and at risk of not getting implemented. There will surely be obstacles on our end, but I know that we can work through them. The only thing currently in our way is money. That’s where you come in. 

I hope by now you’ve gotten to know a little bit about me and my community. I deeply care about my village and this project is something concrete (literally) that I can contribute. It would mean a lot to me and the people I care about here if you could consider donating. This is the perfect opportunity for you to make a huge impact; you know exactly where your money is going.

I think that my project only gets posted on the Peace Corps website for about two weeks, which is not a lot of time. It is really important to get fully funded on time so there are no delays. If you are not in a position to donate, please share the link with your network. Asking for money is very uncomfortable, but this is the only time I am going to do it. If you want to make a difference, now is your chance!

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I will definitely be posting updates as the project progresses. 

Take care,

Fatty