HEALTH IMPROVEMENT FOUNDATION OFCAMEROON
GRANT APPLICATION
Title: Supply Potable Water to 4,000 Cameroonian Villagers
The Administrator,
GlobalGiving Foundation,
USA 17th August, 2015
Contact: Chief Forfaah Lewindia, P.O. BOX 1237, Limbe S.W. Region
Cameroon Tel: (+237) 677748273 E-mail:
Dear Sir,
Letter of Inquiry
I know that you’re pressed for time. But please, could you give me your full attention for the next 30 seconds as you read this letter of inquiry? On behalf of The Health Improvement Foundation of Cameroon (HIF-CAM) I respectfully seek a tax-deductible grant of $71,813 USD from any of your funding partners over one year (October 2015 – September 2016) to facilitate the accessibility of potable water supply and improved hygiene and sanitation to the suffering, underprivileged people of Upper Mawoh village. The Target Community
Upper Mawoh village is a sub-urban community located on a hill in the outskirts of Limbe Sub-division in the South West Region of Cameroon. This remote, disadvantaged village has an estimated population of 4,000 inhabitants – segmented into 51% women and 49% men, with an annual growth rate of 5% (Ref. national population census of 2010). The people are mainly farmers, producing a variety of cash and food crops. There are few amenities in the community: the nursery school with about 70 pupils and a primary school with about 400 pupils (built through community effort). The village lacks essential amenities, including inaccessibility to healthcare facility, potable water supply and improved sanitation.
Specific Target
Children aged 0-12 years constitute our specific target for this project because they are the most vulnerable group, having low resistance to water-borne diseases such as Cholera and Acute Diarrhea Diseases and Typhoid, whose frequent attacks have claimed hundreds of children’s lives. The under-five years old children – the most vulnerable group - make up 20% of the population.
Problems and Need Statement
For decades the people of Upper Mawoh village have never had access to potable water supply and proper hygiene and sanitation. Owing to the disadvantageous location of the village (on a hill) pipe-borne water supplied by Cameroon Water Corporation cannot be piped up the hill where the village is situated. Their main source of drinking water is a heavily polluted stream flowing below the hill. During the rains run-off water from homes carrying along garbage, feces, urine, waste water, etc, pollute this very stream, thus rendering it impure for human consumption. A few families in the village (notably women and children) trek four kilometers downhill every day to fetch water from the nearest (often overcrowded)public stand tap. Wells are rarely sunk in this hilly community because of the deep water table.
The insanitary living conditions of the people has aggravated the spread of water-borne diseases in the village. A large majority of the households in Upper Mawoh village do not have pit latrines. The people dispose of their feces and other wastes indiscriminately. The indiscriminate disposal of household refuse and other wastes results in offensive smells as well as attract flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents which are all disease-carrying agents. The simple hygiene habits of washing hands before meals and after visiting the toilet are hardly practiced.
The people have written several letters of appeal to the Government for assistance, but to no avail. This is understandable because the Government is overwhelmed by thousands of similar requests from rural and sub-urban communities. However, we should not forget that accessibility to potable water is a human right which the poor people of Upper Mawoh village have been denied for too long (at a heavy toll to their lives).
The need for potable water supply and proper hygiene and sanitation in Upper Mawoh village is acute and urgent for the following reasons:
· Frequent outbreaks of Cholera and Acute Diarrhea Disease have claimed several lives with each attack. Young children (especially those at home and in the above schools) are vulnerable to the attacks of these diseases. There is increasing rate of deaths and illnesses resulting from water-related diseases: In May 2010 Cameroon experienced outbreaks of Cholera in the Far North, the Western, the Litoral and South-West regions of the country, of which over 500 deaths were declared. In Limbe alone fifty-two people died, out of which six came from Upper Mawoh village (Statistics from Limbe Health District Office refers). The most recent fatal attack of Acute Diarrheal Diseases which occurred in Upper Mawoh village in May 2014 claimed the lives of four under-five children and had twenty others admitted and treated. A review of health statistics at the Limbe Health District Office revealed that in Upper Mawoh 80 out of every1,000 children die before the age of five years due to acute diarrheal diseases and other water-related diseases. Cholera has not yet been contained in Limbe, considering the fact that epidemics of the disease have recently been reported in other rural and sub-urban communities of Limbe which equally lack potable water supply and proper hygiene practices.
· Periodic hospitalization for the treatment of water-related diseases has drained the incomes of most families. Time taken off for treatment has also resulted in low productivity, with the consequent lowering of the people’s earnings. This has seriously stagnated the economic development of Upper Mawoh village.
· Owing to the acute shortage of housing in Limbe city, Upper Mawoh village continues to absorb a large number of people in search of cheap housing, hence making the demand for potable water in this community a top priority.
After conducting feasibility studies HIF-CAM held several meetings with the community to analyze their water and sanitation problem and finally decided on the best solution to resolve the problem and needs.
Project Description
Choice of Water System and Justification: The Project titled “Saving Children’s Lives in Upper Mawoh Village Through Clean Water Access” is a one-year project aimed at supplying potable water to Upper Mawoh village. During feasibility studies HIF-CAM and the community discovered a spring at the upper part of the village. At the heart of the dry season (February 2014) the spring was tested and found to have a flow rate of 1.5 liters per second. The Upper Mawoh community in collaboration with HIF-CAM have discussed and resolved that this spring should be developed and water supplied from there to Upper Mawoh village by the gravity flow system (a multi-stage filtration system which has proven worldwide to yield water of very high potability). Unlike other systems which require energy sources, imported spare parts or are difficult to maintain, the gravity system is the most appropriate for Upper Mawoh village because of its ease of management. The water source has a dependable underground reserve and is not very susceptible to pollution through surface activities. The water will need neither chemical nor physical treatment because a sedimentation tank and slow sand filter will be put in place. It will be easily managed because the population will be involved right from the inception and through the realization of the entire project and after the finishing, they will be initiated on the management techniques required to sustain the scheme. The parameters of this water scheme shall be calculated for a population projected in 25 years ahead (2015 –2040) using the population growth rate of 5%.
The Global Objective: To contribute to the attainment of Cameroon’s Millennium Development Goal on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
The Specific Objectives:
1. To construct the catchment, slow sand filter sedimentation tank, a 25 cu.m storage tank, 3 km. pipeline network and 10 stand taps in Upper Mawoh village between October 2015 and September 2016.
2. To build the capacity of nine members of Upper Mawoh community for two days: (a) on the management and maintenance of the Water project (b) as community educators, on improving the people’s standard of hygiene and sanitation.
Activities
The above objectives will be achieved through the following activities:
Objective 1: To construct the catchment, slow sand filter sedimentation tank, a 25 cu.m storage tank, 3 km. pipeline network and 10 stand taps in Upper Mawoh village between October 2015 and September 2016.
Project Activity1.1: Sensitize the Upper Mawoh community on the water and sanitation project in the first week of September, 2015.
Strategy 1.1: HIF-CAM’s Community Organizer will sensitize the Upper Mawoh community on the project - explaining their role, their material contribution and unskilled labor, the training workshop on water management, etc. She will also educate the school children on personal hygiene and how to prevent water-borne diseases.
Output1.1; The community is well informed about the project and children educated on hygiene.
Outcome1.1: The community is highly motivated to participate on the project and basic hygiene rules enforced by teachers.
Impact1.1: Community involvement ensures project sustainability and children’s health promoted through healthy habits.
Project Activity1.2: Acquire the building materials.
Strategy 1.2: A hydraulic engineer is hired and he prepares an invoice of the building materials that he will need. The materials are supplied by a contractor and are inspected by the engineer. Sand, stones, gravel, cement, pipes of assorted sizes and others are supplied by the contractor and stored at the Village Chief’s Residence until when needed. The community supplies some of the local materials and transports all bought materials up the hill free of charge.
Output1.2; All the building materials are supplied in the right quantity and quality.
Outcome1.2: Materials supplied in the right quantity and quality assures effective work being done.
Impact 1.2: Structures built using the quality materials will last for many years.
Project Activity1.3: Construct the catchment and its component structures by December, 2015.
Strategy 1.3: The hydraulic engineer supervises building technicians in the digging and backfilling of the foundations and the construction of the catchment, sedimentation tank, slow sand filter, interruption chambers and the storage tank.
Output1.3: The catchment and its component structures are constructed.
Outcome1.3: Clear, colorless, germ-free water is stored in the storage tank (reservoir).
Impact1.3: The consumption of germ-free water promotes the people’s health.
Project Activity1.4: Lay pipes through a distance of 3 kilometers and construct 10 stand taps.
Strategy 1.4: The community digs the pipe lines 30cm deep under the supervision of the hydraulic engineer. He joins the pipes and supervises the construction of 10 stand taps and drainages at strategic locations in the village.
Output 1.4: Pipe lines measuring 3 kilometers long are dug, pipes laid and 10 stand taps and drainages constructed.
Outcome1.4: Clean drinking water is supplied to Upper Mawoh village.
Impact 1.4: The drinking of clean water helps to promote the people’s health and prevent water-borne diseases.
Objective 2 To build the capacity of nine members of Upper Mawoh community for two days: (a) on the management and maintenance of the Water project (b) as community educators, on improving the people’s standard of hygiene and sanitation.
Project Activity 2.1: To sensitize and select members of Upper Mawoh community for the training.
Strategy 2.1: HIF-CAM’s Community Organizer will organize visits to households, schools and groups to sensitize the people on the two-day workshop aimed at empowering them on water management and improved hygiene and sanitation. Their role after the training program is explained. Nine members of the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Management Committee (5 males and 4 females) will be selected for the two days training workshop (scheduled to take place in their community hall). Criteria for selection will include: be able to read and write; volunteering in community development and interest in unpaid community water work.
Output 2.1: The Upper Mawoh community is sensitized and the nine members of the WASH Management Committee are selected for the two days training workshop.
Outcome2.1: The training of selected committee members will result in good water project management and improved hygiene and sanitation of the people.
Impact 2.1: The people live healthier lives following the elimination of water-borne diseases.
Project Activity 2.2: To acquire training workshop materials.
Strategy 2.2 Prior to the training proper, the following equipment and materials will be acquired for use: Participants’ Kit (pens, pencils, files, handouts and T-Shirts to boost the trainees’ role in the community. Didactic Materials will include: projector (hired), bold markers, cardboards, celotape, video deck and cassettes (hired) assorted flip charts, posters and assorted educational pamphlets for the trainees’ use after training. Plumbing Materials Samples will include: assorted plastic pipes and joints, valves, tap heads, gum, detergents, etc.
Output 2.2: Workshop equipment and materials are acquired before the training starts.
Outcome 2.2 The availability of training equipment and materials in the right quantity and quality will assure the effectiveness of the training.
Impact 2.2: The application of the knowledge and skills acquired by members of WASH Management Committee will enhance the sustainability of the project.
Project Activity 2.3: To train nine members of Upper Mawoh WASH Committee for two days on the management and maintenance of the Water project.
Strategy 2.3: The nine selected trainees will be equipped with knowledge and skills in the following topics: The definition and uses of water; Sources of drinking water; Diseases caused by drinking contaminated water; How to clean the tanks and how often; How to protect the catchment from contamination; How to repair or replace broken pipes or taps (to demonstrate practically using plumbing materials). The topics will be covered by the following qualified project personnel recruited: The hydraulic engineer(hired); The Health Technician (specialized in hygiene and sanitation-hired) HIF-CAM’s Executive Director (overall coordinator); Program Officer (specialized in project planning, monitoring, evaluation and management); the Secretary (in charge of all workshop documentation); HIF-CAM’s Accounts Officer (experienced in managing project budget); and the Community Organizer in charge of sensitization and selection.
Output 2.3: The nine members of WASH Management Committee are trained on the management and maintenance of the Water project.
Outcome 2.3: Following the training of the WASH Management Committee members the Upper Mawoh Water Project will be effectively managed.
Impact 2.3 The consumption of clean drinking water by the community will promote their health and enable them live healthier lives.