Peace Corps Volunteers’ Work in Water and Sanitation

  • Currently, 7,671 Americans are serving as Peace Corps Volunteers or trainees (6,529 Volunteers)
  • An estimated twenty-fivepercent of current Volunteers incorporate hygiene and sanitation education in their primary work assignments
  • In addition, an estimated 377 Volunteers facilitate improved access to water and sanitation

Water and Sanitation: Global Overview

Diarrheal infections are the second most common cause of death worldwide in children under five, killing 1.5 million children annually, the majority in developing countries. Forty percent of these deaths could be prevented with improved hygiene, and even more with new or improved sanitation and water infrastructure. Women and children are particularly burdened with carrying water long distances and caring for the sick.

What Volunteers Do Related to Water and Sanitation:

Volunteers and their counterparts address water and sanitation in a variety of ways. Examples of Volunteer activities include the following:

  • Educating community members on improved hygiene and promotion of hygiene behavior change including handwashing, safe water storage, and safe disposal of feces. Volunteers particularly target women, who are the traditional food preparers and child caregivers.
  • Educating community members in affordable household water treatment methods including solar disinfection, boiling, ceramic filters, and biofilters
  • Educating community members onoperation and maintenance of latrines
  • Promoting healthy schools campaigns
  • Building the capacity oflocal health outreach workers
  • Training operators in water system repair, operation and maintenance
  • Training local masonsonwater system and latrine construction
  • Facilitating repair and rehabilitation of existing water systems
  • Facilitating the financing and construction of gravity flow water systems, rainwater catchment systems, wells, soakaway pits and latrines
  • Strengtheningthe administration of water and sanitation committees to ensure sustainability of activities.

FY 2009water and sanitation project beneficiaries, by region

Region / Beneficiaries with improved sanitation / Beneficiaries with improved safe water access / Participants educated on improved hygiene / Total Beneficiaries
Africa / 21,747 / 28,577 / 39,552 / 89,876
EMA / 3,820 / 12,355 / 4,522 / 20,697
IAP / 9,534 / 25,165 / 36,779 / 71,478
TOTAL / 35,101 / 66,097 / 80,852 / 182,050

For more information, contact Doreen Salazar:

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