Working with a committee of locals from the neighboring community with no access to safe water, Pedregoza, we've completed a project plan for the first phase of a community water system. The project will include the small catchment structure at the source springs in the hills and about five kilometers of 1.5" and 2" PVC pipe to the community center and school, providing two communal water outlets. We have managed to find the 400 dollars for the source structure locally, from a national legislator who represents the area. For this "Phase I," the estimated $9,000+ in labor will be provided by the community, while the 8,800 dollars for the pipeline will be provided from the USA. Peace Corps will put an "ad" online with the ability for anyone to make online donations - I'll post the link here and send a mass email as well to give anyone interested the opportunity to contribute to the project. But, thankfully, we have secured the commitment of an NGO, Waterlines, to fund whatever has not been donated after a week or two up to the entire 8,800 dollars. So the project is secure, and we plan to begin as soon as the Washington, D.C. bureaucracy processes the request and funds. We hope to begin in January and have tap water in April. The construction of the source structure is nominal and in the shade, but burying five kilometers of pipe with nothing but shovels, pick-axes, and sweltering heat will take some time. The committee I'm working with is really well organized and has planned to split the 60 local workers up into three 20-person groups, with each group working two days each week. I feel confident letting the committee run itself and make decisions, and the community has continuously shown its commitment to work. We'll see how things go in February.
The latrine project in my own community is finalized as well. The project will consist of 15 latrines, going to households with no latrine. This project is being led by a small group of locals, including the new president of the health committee. I've had a bit more trouble finding cooperation and ambition in my community than in Pedregoza, but the new president happens to be my closest friend in the community so we work together well. I have had to play a slightly heavier role in planning this project, setting deadlines and requirements. For example, the participants will have to have the latrine pit dug before they receive the materials for the latrine floor slab (set over the pit), and will then have to have the walls built before they receive the roof (zinc) sheets. I hate to treat them like children, but there are too many cases of a pile of materials being given to a household for building a latrine, and then a year later the household has a pile of materials and no latrine. This project will also be financed through online donations, with a different NGO as the main donor - we have the 1,500 dollars secured. We should begin around February and be done in a month or two.For the latrine project, we took two trips to the provincial capital, totaling 10 dollars in travel for the committee - a very significant expense, going to the Ministry of Health, District Mayor, Provincial Governor, and a "social investment" Fund of the Presidency with well-prepared requests (individual letters and budget), but have received nothing but a commitment of plastic latrine seats (which weren't a part of our request). Pedregoza had slightly more luck in these efforts, but not much.
Photos: Jesus and me (above), the tarantula that continuously returns to my house (above), two of my roosters and two of my hens, the path to Pedregoza, a praying mantis, a sloth.
