Construction Volunteer projects for groups (2+ pax)
Bespoke construction volunteer projects that make an impact
Ricky & Nico raised funds (approx $1,000) and built a double toilet block for a church over 2 weeks. They also taught in schools, and did local sight-seeing whilst the cement was drying.
Knights Youth Centre, London, UK, carried out an upgrade to Buddhist monks’ quarters, and community toilets, They raised approx $1,000. They also got involved in village life, and were hugely appreciated.
Our partners’ projects for you to support
Our partners in developing countries have projects for you to ‘fund and do’.
Alternatively;
choose a country, and a focus, give us a budget, and we’ll make some suggestions
How we set up your construction volunteer project
Suggested Projects
Our partners in the countries where we work have identified projects that are useful to for their societies, or their projects.
You can see these below.
Each project has an identified cost, that you can either carry out yourself with friends, or as part of a group. Or, you can donate the money for the locals to carry out the project themslves.
Projects include:
a communal toilet
a family toilet
bio-gas units for cooking
organic liquid insecticide, and feriliser production units
painting murals in public spaces
painting public spaces
build a classroom
renovate, repair, or improve an existing communal property
Build a toilet
There are two main types of waterless toilets, pit toilets (trench type, and cylinder type).
Pit toilets, built in Africa or Sri Lanka, have the same basic design, and are maintenance free.
In Sri Lanka, when the pit is full, you can call the local council to empty it.
In some African countries, the pit may simply be sealed when full, and a new one dug.
Compost toilets can also be built, with the humanure used for crops. However, neither this nor the use of bio-gas piped from the latrine pits are favoured in Sri Lanka, despite attempts to suggest.
Pit Latrines in Africa
Digging the pit itself is hard work, and time consuming. Therefore we pay the locals to dig the pits, and in Sri Lanka we hire an earth digger and driver to dig the pit. This saves time, and creates employment. In Africa, and Sri Lanka, depending on size and shape, the hole can be lined with brick, or with a concrete pipe.
The types of pit toilets built in Africa can be seen in these videos. They are effectively maintenance free, if built well at the beginning.
There are moves to encourage the use of compost toilets, creating humanure, There are numerous advantages, but they require ongoing management.
Bio-gas retrieval can also be linked to the toilets, the gas generated being used for cooking.
However, neither the bio-gas retrieval, nor the humanure can be used in Sri Lanka where suggestions for these are culturally pooh-poohed!
Install a safe supply of water
In the area our partners work in Uganda, many people in rural areas obtain their water from springs. However, the one pictured here is a spring that forms a pool
Adding pipes and a housing can deliver clean water to the community. Adding a flitartion system can provideclean and safe water to the community.
