Reconstruction of Bathroom Facilities at Special School #1 for Mentally Disabled Children in Armenia
Situation
Since 2004, the Abovyan School has worked with Counterpart International's Community and Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP), which has delivered bunk beds, bedding, clothing, school and hygiene supplies and other needed items, with a total value of over $67,000.00. In 2007, CHAP in Armenia implemented another US Department of State-funded Small Reconstruction Project (SRP) to renovate the school's cafeteria and kitchen.
The Special Boarding School #1 for Mentally Disabled Children, located in Abovyan, Kotayk Marz, has more than 30 years of history. The school is under the government patronage and provides special education to over 100 mentally disabled children from Abovyan and neighboring villages. The school's bathrooms were not adequate to serve those 100 children and personnel of the school and required urgent renovation to meet basic standards.
What We Did
In September 2009, CHAP implemented a US Department of State-funded SRP at the Special School # 1 for Mentally Disabled Children of Abovyan to reconstruct the bathrooms. Since the reconstruction, the hygiene and sanitary conditions of the bathrooms at the school have improved significantly.
This SRP was another partnership implemented by Counterpart in close cooperation with the school management. Under this project, the ceiling and walls have been repaired and painted, floors have been evened and covered with ceramic tiles and the old wooden doors have been replaced with more durable PVC doors. New lavatory pans and hand-washing basins with fittings have been installed, water pipes and electric cables have been replaced with new ones, the sewage system has been fixed and two water tanks have been installed to provide permanent water for the bathrooms.
Latter-Day Saint Charities contributed to the project through provisions of some needed construction materials. LDS Charities is the humanitarian branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah and provides humanitarian assistance to many countries throughout the world. Counterpart began its collaboration with LDS Charities from the beginning of its activities in Armenia.
To learn more about Counterpart’s Small Reconstruction Projects throughout the Former Soviet Union, visit our Web site.
July 20th, 2007 | Tags: Armenia, bathrooms, reconstruction, school, Small Reconstruction Project, SRP, SRP Armenia | Category: Impact Stories | Leave a comment
The Elseys: The Impact of One Family’s Efforts
Although located thousands of miles from the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the Elsey family in Bethesda, Maryland, were not unaffected by the plight and struggles of the Darfur people.
"At night, we sit down and watch the news as a family and we see all these kids from other countries witnessing terrible acts of violence and having to walk hundreds of miles for school or get water," Laura, a mother of three, explains. "It makes me think, 'what if that were my child?'"
This troubling thought spurred Laura, along with her husband John and children Polly and Jake, then 15 and 13 years old respectively, to take action.
"We wanted to do something more," Laura says. "One day, we were all talking about what we could do and thought one thing we can all do is walk."
The Elseys organized a "walk" in June 2007 and raised nearly $11,000 for a Counterpart shipment of medical supplies to refugees of the Darfur genocides.
"I'm part of the 'Save Darfur' campaign where you send e-mails to the White House," Laura adds. "But we wanted to do something more than that – something that might fill the belly of a child. We chose Counterpart because we know where the money is going exactly."
The Elseys secured pledges from friends and family for their more than 18 mile walk from their home in Bethesda, through Washington D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia, where friends and the youngest Elsey daughter, then 6-year-old Millie, were waiting. The walk coincided with Jake's middle school graduation from the Norwood School, prompting his classmates to donate money they had raised from fundraisers over the year to the walk. The nearly five hour walk ended at the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Alexandria, but the lesson did not.
Counterpart used the nearly $11,000 raised by the Elsey family and leveraged it into more than $1 million worth of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and de-worming medicines, to sent through partner organizations to Darfur refugees who fled into neighboring Chad.
"It was amazing for the kids to see that so little can make such a difference," Laura says. "We just got $25 or $50 here and there, but it really added up!"
June 8th, 2007 | Tags: Elseys, Sudan | Category: Donor Story | Leave a comment
Counterpart International Joins with Ocean Foundation to Implement Lobster Casitas
Counterpart is working with the Ocean Foundation to provide the fishermen from the Monte Cristi and Parque Nacional del Este with training and materials needed to build 100 "lobster casitas." The concept of the "lobster casita" was developed by a Cuban fisherman who noticed the migration of lobsters at night while they hide during the day. He had the idea of constructing little houses ("casitas") for the lobsters so they could find shelter during the day. The "casita" consists of a frame of metal bars covered with cement and shaped like a table-top. Usually placed in shallow water, the casitas are harvested by free-diving once every week or ten days during the lobster fishing season.
The "casita" became a fishing tool as the fishermen were able to go catch the lobsters directly in their "casitas" while making sure they would only remove the adult ones, leaving under-sized and egg-carrying lobsters in the water to help increase the local lobster population. The environmental benefit of the "lobster casita" is that it provides increased shelter habitat for lobsters, which are often in short supply, while increasing the carrying capacity of the coral reef system.
June 5th, 2007 | Tags: collaboration, Dominican Republic, fishing, lobster, partnership | Category: | Leave a comment
Reconstruction of Bathrooms, Heating and Sewer System at School for Deaf Children in Kyrgyz Republic
Situation
The Specialized Boarding School for Deaf Children was founded in 1961, and currently houses 345 students, ages 6-18, from all oblasts of the Kyrgyz Republic. In addition to those with hearing disabilities, many children have other impairments, including mental disorders and hindered psychological development. The staff consists of 48 teachers, 24 tutors, 28 technical workers and 10 administrative personnel.
What We Did
Counterpart International reconstructed the bathrooms, heating system and sewer system at the study building of the Specialized Boarding School for Deaf Children and created better hygienic and living conditions for students. The project was made possible through the partnership and financial support of the US Department of State under the "Small Reconstruction Projects" initiative, as well as in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic and Severelectro Public Corporation.
The project began in January 2007, immediately after receiving funding from the Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan, and was able to continue with the financial aid of the US Department of State in March 2007. In-kind donations from the Ministry of Education, Severelectro Public Corporation and "Global Education in Kyrgyzstan" also went towards general construction works. Field workers cleaned and renovated floors, windows, doors and ceilings, and also replaced all piping in the study building. The building was rewired, with new lighting and metal sinks also added. Finally, the full heating and sewer systems in the study building were completely rehabilitated for the 345 children.
The reconstruction of the bathrooms and the heating and sewer systems at the school helped create safer hygienic and health conditions for the students, and additionally improved their overall education environment. In fact, if not for Counterpart's efficient work at the school, the children were facing a possible evacuation due to safety issues.
To learn more about Counterpart’s Small Reconstruction Projects throughout the Former Soviet Union, visit our Web site.
May 30th, 2007 | Tags: bathrooms, deaf, hearing impaired, heating, Kyrgyzstan, reconstruction, school, sewer, Small Reconstruction Project, SRP, SRP Kyrgyzstan | Category: Impact Stories | Leave a comment
Reconstruction of Gravity Potable Water System in Gissar District of Tajikistan
Situation
The Kushkaki Murgon and Karahoni Villages are both located in the Gissar district of Tajikistan, at an altitude of 1,250 meters above sea level. Together, the villages are home to approximately 3,000 residents. Prior to Counterpart's work in the region, acquisition of clean water was a major concern for the villages' families. Many were forced to travel 6,500 meters to the closest fresh water spring or dig extremely deep wells that were causing gradual deforestation of the area. Recently, it became clear that a better solution to the water supply problem would be necessary.
What We Did
The main object of this project was to give the 3,000 residents of the Gissar District in Tajikistan improved access to potable water, thus reducing instances of dehydration and water-borne infections within the population. This project was made possible through the funding and partnership of the US State Department under its "Small Reconstruction Projects" initiative.
A construction team composed of Counterpart International staff and local workers initiated work on the project in May of 2007. They began by installing a new 30-ton steel water reservoir with valves in close proximity to Kushkaki Murgon and Karahoni. Then, the team dug large trenches connecting the reservoir to various distribution points in the villages. Finally, workers installed a new pipe system to conveniently carry water to the distribution points.
As a result of Counterpart's work in the Gissar District, the region's residents now have easy access to fresh, clean water. This new convenience has vastly improved living conditions in the towns of Kushkaki Murgon and Karahoni, and has led to a healthier and happier population.
To learn more about Counterpart’s Small Reconstruction Projects throughout the Former Soviet Union, visit our Web site.
May 24th, 2007 | Tags: reconstruction, Small Reconstruction Project, SRP, SRP Tajikistan, Tajikistan, water | Category: Impact Stories | Leave a comment
