The objective of the Ghana Project is to improve the quality of life of the residents of the Tamale Children’s Home through low cost/high impact sustainable engineering solutions. The plan is to upgrade the water delivery and drainage from the kitchen, upgrade the electric, and install propane appliances with the appropriate infrastructure. The implementation of the project is scheduled for May 2011.
Water Deliverables
At this point, the only source of potable water available to the Tamale’s Children Home is the city water supply which is intermittent and unreliable. The alternative system utilizes collected rainwater. The quality of the collected rainwater is sub-par to modern standards for drinking. Using poor or unsanitary drinking water can cause diarrheal diseases. Improper drainage of water can lead to standing water which is a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes which contribute to the incidence of malaria.
The water project is two-fold: create a water storage system to provide a constant source of potable water, and install a greywater infiltration pit to safely process the greywater.
The plan is to divert the water from the municipal supply to water storage tanks on a tower, and then to the kitchen building. When the municipal water is on, it will fill the tanks. When it is not on, there will still be water stored in the tanks to supply the building.
The waste water from the kitchen will only be greywater. This water will be processed using a greywater infiltration pit. The infiltration pit is truly an elegant solution to the problem of safely processing waste water because it mimics how nature processes water.
The team will use locally sourced materials for the design. These materials would include but are not limited to polytanks for water storage, PVC piping graded for drinking water for water delivery, applicable fittings for the PVC piping, and a water pump to supply extra pressure. The materials needed for the infiltration pit would consist of but is not limited to PVC piping graded for drainage, perforated PVC for the percolated dripping effect down to the pit, gravel, sand, and geotextile. Using locally sourced materials is not just convenient. It ensures that any materials needed for repair are readily available to the residents of the home, adding to the sustainability of the project.
Kitchen Deliverables
Currently the staff is subjected to cooking with fuelwood in sub-standard conditions in a shack with poor ventilation, no running water, and no preparation area. The poor air quality in the shack can lead to respiratory infections. The fuelwood that is used is expensive and inefficient, with 90% of the energy generated being wasted. Propane, the alternative fuel proposed by the Ghana Project Team, is locally available and only one third the cost of fuelwood.
Adjacent to the shack, there is an existing building that is not being used by the staff because of cultural beliefs. Soon after construction, bees inhabited the chimney. In Ghanaian culture, bees represent spirits and disruption of the nest will upset the spirits and cause bad luck. A Ghanaian will be hired to safely relocate the bees in accordance with social customs and beliefs.
The building lacks amenities such as running water and plumbing. The electrical outlets in the building also need maintenance. Another goal for The 2011 Ghana Project is to install new plumbing, upgrade the electric, and install propane appliances with the appropriate infrastructure. Again, the team plans on using locally sourced materials. In particular, the stove has been chosen specifically to meet the traditions of Ghanaian cooking. The idea is to mimic the current cooking style so that the transition from the wood fire to the propane stove will be as smooth as possible. In addition, the local fire department has been retained to train the women how to use the new propane stove. The plumbing consists of installing a sink in both the new kitchen, and in the adjacent preparation room with drainage to the new infiltration pit.
The proposed capacity of the propane tank is 250 gallons which is estimated to be a six month supply. To support this load, a concrete slab must be constructed and piping to the kitchen installed. Also on the list of materials for the kitchen are new electric outlets, a ventilation system, a freezer, tables, and a stainless steel sink.
Conclusion
The estimated cost for these improvements is $15,000. When the impact this project will have on the standard of living of the residents of the home is considered, this amount seems minimal. All travel costs are being funded by the team, and this estimated budget only includes materials, tools, and any outsourced labor. the team is hard at work, not only designing the project, but fundraising to pay for the project.
This image is the planview of the site.
This image shows the source of the municipal water supply in the forefront by the polytanks. Directly behind the polytanks is the existing structure that is used for cooking. On the left is the building that will be used for the new kitchen. In the background is the tower that will hold the new water storage tanks.
This image is the existing cooking conditions.
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