How time flies! It has been 6 months since I last wrote and my third year in the Peace Corps is nearly half way over. I can hardly believe it.
I hope that spring is finally arriving back in the U.S. and that you are all enjoying the warmer weather and the greening of the landscape. Here it is still dry season but we have had several showers that signal the impending beginning of the rainy season. Soon I’ll be able to sleep past 1 a.m. and not have to worry about if I will be able to obtain a few jugs of water from the public faucet or the small natural wells below the community. Hooray! (Although I will have to contend with the mud!)
As always, I continue to struggle alongside community members to satisfy the most basic of all human needs – clean, sufficient water. This has been a long road, with many twists and turns and dead-ends. But now, working with the Association for Community Development and its Committees (Water, Health, and Agriculture and Environment), we finally have a vision for how this might come to pass.
I write to you today to let you know how things are going, but also to humbly ask those of you who are willing and able for your support of this endeavor. Whether you can offer your time and energy in fundraising efforts or prayer and moral support (or both!) I would be very grateful. Please read on to learn more about the current status of the water project, our vision, and how you can be a part of it.
As some of you may recall from my last email, we had carried out a hydro-geological study of the area and we knew the location of the nearest viable aquifer (about 1 km away from the community) where a well could be drilled. An outstanding team from the Engineers Without Borders chapter of Rowan University had conducted an assessment trip to El Amatón and was hard at work designing the water system infrastructure (pump, energy source, tubing, water storage tank, etc.). Then our Mayor came to the community announcing a project about which I had deep reservations, a project based on a well drilled for political reasons. The well has abundant water, but it believed to be contaminated by nearby latrines and it is located 3 km away and 200 m below the community. Several experts in water systems with which I have consulted have warned that the great distance and rise from the well to the storage tank means that the energy cost of pumping the water will be more than a community of such scarce resources can sustain, if only electrical energy is used. Unfortunately, the Mayor proved closed to our efforts to drill a slightly closer, cleaner well, and work is currently in progress on this project.
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Bio-Sand Filter Project
While people in the community are encouraged by the prospect of having sufficient water after so many years of scarcity, the majority share these concerns of water contamination and the expense of pumping the water, and are supportive of efforts to better the project. The Health Committee and I have investigated different options for purifying the water, and the community has nearly unanimously voted to pursue a project of installing 120 bio-sand filters, one in each home of the community.
(At left) Diagram of the bio-sand filter. Removal of most harmful contaminants and pathogens takes place on the top surface of the sand 2 in. below the water surface, where a natural biomass layer of microorganisms degrades organic material and removes bacteria and parasites.
The filters, promoted by an organization called Pure Water for the World (www.purewaterfortheworld.org), are capable of removing 97% of all fecal coliform bacteria, 100% of parasites and worms, 100% of Giardia cysts, 99.98% of Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 50-99% of organic and inorganic toxicants from contaminated water. Together with the hygiene and sanitation education that the Health Committee plans to do, the filters should solve the problem of contamination of the well and make a big difference in the health of the community. There are many mothers that have lost one or more children under 5 to diarrheas, and I don’t think there is a mother in El Amatón who has not at some point feared for the life of a child dehydrated by diarrhea. Now, putting in a new water system, it would be a terrible mistake not to make sure that an appropriate purification system is also installed. (And although I was never in the acute danger a young child with parasites faces, I can say that I have never felt so miserable as when I have had amebas, Giardia, and bacterial infections – and I had access to good medical care and medications to eliminate the infections. I can’t imagine how these people manage to work or study at all with chronic parasitism!)
I’ve already seen lots of support from the community for this project – in the last community meeting, community members agreed to pay a collaboration of $10 per family towards the cost of the filters, help with transport and installation, attend all the trainings and hygiene and education sessions, and put into practice personal hygiene and environmental sanitation recommendations in their homes. Eight more people also joined the four existing members of the Health Committee, specifically to help with hygiene and sanitation education, training on proper use and maintenance of the filters, and follow-up visits to make sure the filters are working properly!
We are still waiting on price quotes for the filters from a project being carried out by a Rotary Club in another part of El Salvador, but we think that the cost of buying and transporting the filter, supplying parasite treatments, and hygiene and sanitation education will come to about $100.00 per family, or about $12,000.00 total.
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Solar Panel Project
Making sure that the water gets to the community at an affordable price is going to be a bit more of a challenge. I’ve continued to work with the Engineers Without Borders as well as some great professors from the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in San Salvador to design a project of solar panels to supply at least a portion of the energy for the pump. What they have come up with is a hybrid solar – electrical energy system to operate the pump. In this system, solar panels installed near the pump would produce energy, which will be injected into the electrical grid. Any energy generated by the solar panels will be used to power the pump without increasing the electricity bill. Energy needs beyond what the solar system can generate will be provided by the grid.
The only catch is the initial investment: about $100,000.00 for a 20-kW system supplying nearly 100% of the energy for the pump; about $80,000.00 to supply 75% of the energy, and about $60,000.00 to supply 50-60% of the energy. I know it sounds like a lot, but I’ve run the numbers and the investment is a good one, both economically and ecologically. One engineer calculated that without the solar panels, the community will probably be paying around $15,000.00 per year in electricity bills – so in a little over 7 years, a 100% solar system would save the community its cost in electricity bills, and the system is guaranteed for 25 years. And to be honest, I think that this is the only way to guarantee the sustainability of the water project and the health benefits that sufficient water for good hygiene and sanitation would bring. Without the solar panels, the monthly quota per-family will be over $10 just to cover the electricity bills, and the ADESCO will need to charge more for the salary of someone to operate the controls of the pump and to build up a maintenance fund. In the socio-economic study that I carried out with Engineers Without Borders, the most people said they could pay per month for water was $4.00 (too bad the Mayor never asked them that. Grrrrrr.) The solar panels would also provide a great opportunity for environmental education about the connection between renewable energy and environmental protection. That’s still a very new concept here in El Salvador (an almost nonexistent one in the rural areas), and having a concrete example functioning in the community would help bring it to life for both kids and adults.
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How Can You Help?
OK, here comes the part I don’t like. But I love El Amatón, so I have to do it.
We have knocked on door after door after door of government aid agencies, businesses, and NGOs in search of the necessary resources to realize this vision of clean, affordable water. However, with the exception of Rotary and Pure Water, which are standing by ready to help, the institutions have largely been unresponsive. We will persist in following these channels, but I have grown weary of bureaucracy in the face of such great human need. I am tired of responses like “USAID is no longer funding any water system infrastructure projects in Central America. We’re focusing on roads and bridges” (when what people in the rural areas need is water) and “I’m sorry, we like our projects have at least 1,000 beneficiaries” (when my community has less than 500) and “Is it even worth it to put in a decent water system to serve only 500 people?” (when I know almost all of these people by name and understand their need and love them as family). These responses contrast so sharply with the overwhelming generosity that I experienced working with family, friends, and my church on the classrooms project, and with my church on numerous projects thereafter. You all, all who donated to these projects, didn’t see numbers. You saw people -- children of God, if you will -- with needs, and you responded. And I thank you for all that you have given, not only financial resources, but also gifts of time, energy, prayer, and well wishes.
So while we will persist with our proposals to institutions, I have decided to return to the grass-roots – to appeal directly to people of faith and conscience in the confidence that the Spirit of compassion moving in and through each of you can accomplish marvelous things.
I want to begin with the filters project, for two reasons. One, it is a more modest, reachable goal. And more importantly, it addresses the most basic need of health and child survival. What I need from those of you who are willing and able is this:
-- First, if you are religious, please pray for my community. This request may seem silly to some of you, and that’s OK. But I realize that everyone wants to help, but not everyone is in a position to do fundraising. This is a way that everyone can be involved if they wish. It really does strengthen me to know that there are people praying for me and for my community, for guidance and for persistence in seeking God’s will of justice and peace “on earth as it is in heaven” for this particular community. Don’t for one moment think that the contribution of prayer is any less significant that other forms of assistance. It means a lot to me!
-- Second, if you would like, please talk to your faith communities, classes, and civic groups to promote giving to the water filters project. We accomplished a lot through my family, friends, and especially my church on the classrooms project, so just imagine what could happen if this effect was multiplied – if each of you was able to mobilize your faith community or civic group. Again, I understand that not everyone feels comfortable doing this, and that many faith communities already have causes that they are dedicated to and may not be able to take on another. That’s OK. Please don’t feel that you have to do this. I feel bad just asking. But I know there may be some people who would like to help in this regard and I would be very grateful for anything you can do!
I have assembled several documents to help you promote the water filters project. They are as follows. If you would like me to send them to you for promotion purposes, please email me.
-- El Amaton Bio-Sand Filters Project – Brochure: a trifold brochure summarizing the need and the project, encouraging people to “adopt a family” or “adopt a child.” It is two pages and should be printed out on a single sheet, front to back, and folded brochure style. This can be distributed to interested groups.
-- Bio-Sand Filters Solicitud – El Amatón, El Salvador: The full Project proposal with background information about the community, the water contamination problem, technical information about the filter and studies of its effectiveness, and the proposed project (objectives, activities, expected results, tentative budget).
-- El Amaton Bio-Sand Filters Fundraising Talk: A suggested “script” for a presentation on the bio-sand filters project to an interested group. This will need to be adapted to your group – in particular, you will have to establish the method for collecting donations. I’ve also put together a Power Point presentation that is the companion to this script. It has lots of pictures which are always good for making people feel connected to the cause.
Here’s how the funding is going to work: There are two tax-deductible organizations holding donations for the El Amatón Bio-Sand filters project. One is my home church, Wildwood Presbyterian Church. The other is Pure Water for the World. If you are interested in contributing, please contact me and I can provide the addresses. All checks MUST be marked “El Amatón Filters Project.” People should be aware that 100% of any donation they make will go towards the El Amatón filter project; none will be directed to administrative costs. The Financial Secretary at Wildwood Presbyterian has managed all donations for El Amatón for the classroom project and other projects on a volunteer basis and (bless his heart!) will continue to do so. In a similar way, the Executive Director of Pure Water for the World will receive donations for El Amatón from people who prefer to donate through this organization.
In order to make things easier on these two very generous people, I am asking that any organization (church, temple, civic group) collect donations and then make out a single check to Wildwood Presbyterian or Pure Water for the World, instead of having individual members send checks. Please designate a responsible contact person from each organization. We will then send reports to this person, who will in turn share them with individual donors from his or her group.
The Director of Pure Water for the World will be helping us channel donations through Rotary Clubs, because Clubs receive matches from their respective Districts and Rotary International. This way, your donation will go further.
In the optimistic scenario that the donations received exceed the amount needed for the filters, we would dedicate the funds towards the Solar Panel project in order to make the pumping of water from the well to the community economically and environmentally sustainable. We are also planning on submitting a Rotary Matching Grant for this project, but since the project budget exceeds the maximum we can solicit from Rotary International, in this case your donations would be kept separate in order to complement funding from Rotary Clubs. I’ve attached the project proposal for this effort as well.
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I have been amazed and humbled by the support that all of you, family and friends back home, have shown throughout my time in El Salvador. I was hesitant to ask for fundraising support after the classrooms project, but I know of no other source so responsive, so giving, so compassionate. You all come from a diversity of backgrounds – you attend Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, and Evangelical churches, Jewish synagogues, Hindu and Buddhist temples, and some of you do not feel a connection to any particular organized religious tradition but have your own sense of ethics and spirituality. But what each of these traditions shares – what we all share -- is the conviction that each and every person is of infinite value, that we are all brothers and sisters, and as such we must care for each other and for the Earth that has been entrusted to us. This is not something that one person can do alone. It is something that must be done in community. So once again, with a bit of sheepishness but even more love for my adopted Salvadoran village, I appeal to you all, my community of family and friends.
So, while the institutions shuffle papers, let’s help get these people some clean water!
With gratitude and hope,
Megan
