Highlighting Success:
The Community Challenge Fund
Thanks to a number of persons who contributed donations at the end of the year and the first two months of 2008, the Community Challenge Fund donations have now passed the $100,000 mark! Big and small donations from a total of 235 donors over the years have helped push pass this milestone; and the number of contributors achieving the Co-Founder donation level (more than $3,500) grew to seven. With $123,000 committed for the matching funds, we have reached 80% of our goal. That is just amazing! Thank you all.
The new mark was achieved while a site visit of projects was revealing that Challenge Fund (CCF) projects were achieving amazing impacts and demonstrating clear evidence of project sustainability – a key ingredient to long-term success. The Fund Program Manager traveled to the DR to site-visit six projects in the month of February. Here is his report:
Challenge Fund Projects – High Impacts and Long-term Sustainability
The community of Villa Nueva demonstrated the effectiveness of building sustainability into their project. This aqueduct project which brought water to a community of 640 people in the Cibao, was the second CCF project completed - almost 4 years ago. Meetings with community leaders during the site visit showed that the project continues to operate effectively. Over the past 4 years, service to homes has been interrupted only briefly for repairs conducted by a paid a part-time water system repairman. The community continues to collect monthly maintenance assessments and hook-up fees for new homes in the community to pay for these costs.
Other projects visited demonstrated a high impact on families they helped. In El Aguacate (near Nagua in the Northeast) where CCF funds paid for materials to help community members construct 46 composting latrines, the health of the children in particular has improved markedly. Because of the community’s high water table, the standard latrines used by the community were rendered almost useless and created contamination in the wells and the canals where children use to bathe and families washed their clothes. Since the project was completed over a year ago, daily attendance at the local school has increased and the grateful families we spoke with all indicated fewer stomach problems had been encountered among both children and adults.
In Angostura, high in the central cordillera, the community hydroelectric power generation/electrification project approved last year is already having an impact on businesses in the area. They now have a less expensive and clean source of power to operate the community cooperative, strengthening the economy and employment in the area. The installation of power lines to individuals was in process and should be completed soon, bringing steady electricity to homes of 73 families for the first time.
We had an opportunity to visit the newest (approved in January) CCF project, the 21st for the Fund. The Batey Amistad Communal Latrines and Water Repairs project was underway at the time of the visit. It is the third project to take place in a Batey, among the poorest communities in the country. Batey Amistad, home to 340 Haitian immigrants (both legal and illegal) and located in the sugar cane fields near Imbert in Puerto Plata Province, experienced a 28% death rate among infants over the last three years along with severe gastro-intestinal disease among its members. About ½ of the 20 new ventilated latrines had been completed, vastly improving sanitation in the crowded community. As part of the overall community health education and improvement program, PCV Jonathan Santiago has also been working with the youth on a garbage disposal project.
DONORS AND SCOUTS HAVE FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE WITH CCF PROJECTS
Two groups volunteered time in February to work in La Cienega (near Jarabacoa) on a ventilated latrines construction project. Both groups worked side by side with Dominican families benefiting from the CCF grants, an experience arranged by PCVs working in the community. First, a group of 7 enthusiastic Boy Scouts from Rhode Island worked two days, staying overnight in the homes of families. The Scouts were followed by a group of 14 CCF donors from Seattle who spent another two days constructing latrines. The donors learned more than they ever wanted to know about latrines! They were treated to some wonderful traditional Dominican meals in homes of community families and learned a great deal about the simple but proud life of the Campesino. They left with a sense of humbleness at the expressions of gratitude and the open graciousness of their hosts and were amazed at the impact a little bit of financial assistance could achieve.
⇒For more information you may view the CCF section of the web site by clicking here.