Appropriate Projects Initiative

I am an RPCV (Bolivia, '66-'68). I founded and run Water Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does water, sanitation, and public health projects worldwide.

After about a year of operation, and collaboration with Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and Associate Peace Corps Directors (APCDs) on projects of all sizes, I noted a pattern of PCVs who had identified critical projects that needed to be done very quickly. All were high-impact projects, and most were small.

I started the Appropriate Projects initiative in July, 2009 and solicited project proposals from PCVs, APCDs, and Country Directors (CDs). The criteria were as follows:

• Applications accepted only from Peace Corps Volunteers.
• Only water and sanitation projects funded. (Water and sanitation components for schools, clinics, and community centers OK.)
• The total cost for a project limited to under $500.
• "Finishing" projects that had been started and "fixing" facilities in need of repair favored over new projects.
• Ready to start at once.
• Project completed within one month of funding.
At the time of submission of this entry, approximately one month into the program, we have achieved the following results.
• 11 complete project applications were submitted, covering projects in 10 countries, 6 of which are in Africa.
• (Approximately 8 more projects are being fine-tuned, with final submissions expected in a week or two.)
• Every application that was submitted was approved. (Every application was unique and innovative, met our criteria, satisfied a critical need at minimal cost, and used appropriate technology.)
• Every project was funded within a day or two of submission from operating capital. Then public donations were sought to repay our outlay. Such donations were used to fund new projects, which are coming in at an increasing rate.
• Donors were given the option to "adopt" a project, complete with "naming rights" if they so desired.
• Two projects have been completed to date.
• Two projects have been fully funded by donors to date.
• Two CDs and several APCDs have contacted us, endorsed the concept, and distributed information about our work to their PCVs.

The concept is built on the premise that PCVs, trained in appropriate technology, living in communities and interacting with their neighbors are uniquely qualified to come up with application-specific solutions to obtain and conserve safe water, manage and remediate water supplies, and lead projects through the process from planning to completion and evaluation.

We are thrilled by the response so far from Peace Corps administration, PCVs and donors alike. We intend to greatly expand the initiative, and to accept follow-up projects of all sizes under our regular Water Charity guidelines.
We will submit updated reports so that you can follow our progress.

Averill Strasser

Appropriate Projects

http://appropriateprojects.com

Water Charity

http://watercharity.org