Water Charity

The effort resulted in the installation of 3 Rotoplas water deposits, 5 functioning toilets, a cement water deposit, a washing station, and 6 sinks with faucets. The sinks are connected to galvanized tubes that receive water directly from the water deposits.

The project was carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Melanie Reda, and with the assistance of Global Water albanil Albert Xoch, and Lynn Roberts.

Melanie reports:

They are now able to store 1350 liters of water in the deposits ensuring that there is at the very least a 3-day supply of water for each student and teacher.

She further states:

The generosity of the Water Charity donors has made such a difference in the lives of the students and teacher of Julio Verne. Please know that we are eternally grateful for the support.

We are still accepting donations for this project. If you want your donation to be applied for the costs incurred for Melanie’s project, click the Donate button below.

Kristen went with Professor Ismael and four representatives of Patalup to purchase the water deposit tank and materials to construct the base.

Featured in the photographs are María Mejía Avilam, María Tzampop (representative of Patulup Community Development Committee), Isabel Mejía Vicente, Ismael Morales (teacher in Patulup school), and Domingo Yat Cor.

In between, Kristen hosted 16 new Preventive Health Peace Corps/Guatemala trainees who visited her site to learn about life, work and play as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Local masons have started building the base, near the door of the kitchen. She will provide us with a final report and construction photos when the project is completed.

The project resulted in the installation of 43 point-of-use Ecofiltro ceramic water filters, and the training of all recipients in the proper use and maintenance of the filters. In addition 3 large filters were placed in Safe Passage public areas.

The project began with studies by Ecofiltro, a nonprofit that manufactures clay filters in Guatemala, showing that the water coming out of the municipal water pipes was polluted with contaminants, such as e coli, at least 87 percent of the time.

There were also health records kept by the Safe Passage clinic, and the nursing staff had concluded that children suffered from diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal illnesses due to unsafe water much of the time.

Safe Passage then did a baseline study, meeting with all of the filter recipients and collecting extensive background data. This data will allow them to follow the families on regular intervals, coinciding with regular visits to assure that the filters are being used properly. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the filters in eliminating or cutting down disease is now possible.

As an added bonus, the participants in the program will receive a 20-hour course on nutrition, hygiene, and holistic health for themselves and their families, conducted by La Familia de Las Americas.

The project was extremely gratifying in many respects. First was the opportunity to work with Safe Passage, an organization doing such great work with the families that work at the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Their integrated approach, taking into account the many needs of a specific segment of the population, allows individuals to elevate themselves from the difficult conditions in which they are surrounded.

The project was led by Liz Love, who directs the Adult Literacy Program at Safe Passage. Through her hard work and dedication, this project was carried out without a hitch.

Working with a cohesive group of motivated mothers will assure compliance in the use and maintenance of the filters, and allow for evaluation.

As a pilot project, the technology, practices, and procedures can be replicated, and other needy groups and families can be served.

Many international aid organizations focus on the needs of communities in the rural areas, sometimes resulting in neglect of urban communities. With dense population, urban pollution, and difficult sanitation problems, the cities are in need of increased and immediate attention.

We will be continuing our involvement with Safe Passage to deal with the needs of the community they serve, with other water and sanitation technologies that may be appropriate.

Kristy lives in Kaedi, Gorgol, Mauritania. She works with mainly with the 5th and 6th grade French speaking teachers. Science and math are taught in French, but everything else is in Arabic.

Mauritania is located in northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by the Morocco-controlled Western Sahara on the northwest.

The first part of the project is to provide a sufficient and cost-effective water resource to the school by repairing the existing well that is on school grounds. This will provide water for the students, as well as school gardens and tree nurseries.

The second part is to repair the school’s

The design calls for the collection of water from a natural spring, and piping it by gravity a distance of 1.4 kilometers. A small pump is used to pump the water up 10 meters to a 3,000 gallon distribution tank. It is then piped by gravity 0.8 km to each house in the community.

The project will serve 15 houses at present, with a total population of approximately 90 people. However, it is designed to handle the expected rise in population over the next 20 years to 167 people.

The labor will be provided by the members of the community, who are also contributing materials, such as sand, rock, and wood.

The municipal government of Siguatepeque is donating half of the money needed to complete the project.

The project is divided into phases, which will allow us to start right away while we are still seeking funds to complete the project. The first phase calls for building the spring box around the water source. This will keep the source from being contaminated, and allow for easy daily access to the water.

The second phase calls for the construction of the conduction line and distribution tank, and installation of the pump.

The third and final phase will result in the construction of the distribution network, with taps at each house.

Michelle reports that arrangements have been made with a local NGO, Aldea Global, to coordinate the work in the field. The project is ready to begin, and Michelle will keep us updated on the progress.

We urgently need your donations so that we can move quickly through the phases of the project. If you click the Donate button below, your contribution will be earmarked for the La Crucita Water System Project.

In all, 91 latrines were completed. The project was inaugurated by the happy and appreciative townspeople, and will stand as a reminder of her selfless efforts.

Katie will be credited with creating the model of combining a terrific project with a supportive fundraising effort. It was only through her tireless conviction that such an ambitious project could be undertaken and completed in such a short time.

You can read the history of the project HERE.

The website was favorably reviewed HERE.

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Located about 45 minutes from San Salvador, Los Mangos has 53 families. The population is served by the Los Mangos Community Health Clinic. The clinic is without water, a condition that hampers its ability to deliver services to the community.

This project will provide a rainwater collection system for the clinic. The system will consist of a tank, a gutter collection system, and piping between the gutters, the tank, and the clinic.

The project was initiated and will be implemented by Payton Phillips Garcia and Jeff Gould. Payton is a Lecturer in the Spanish Department at the University of Southern California, with a longstanding interest in El Salvador and a strong relationship with the Salvadoran community of Los Angeles.

Jeff is an Engineering Contractor in San Pedro, California, who spends much time and does a lot of charitable work in El Salvador. Payton and Jeff will see the project through to completion.

This project is very exciting to Water Charity in that it is the first time that we are attempting to engage and work with an ethnic co

The ongoing conflict in Durfur has created a humanitarian crisis, regarded by some as one of the worst in history. Hundreds of people are dying daily due to lack of safe water. To make matters worse, the water shortages feed the conflict, as fighting erupts over limited resources.

Many refugees have been forced to locate in camps where some emergency aid is afforded. Although basic, the camps provide some protection against the various militias that operate in the region. However unprecedented concentrations of population have caused great localized demand for resources.

Nevertheless, relief for the camps is the quickest way to save the most lives, as centralized services afford economies of scale. Every relief effort has to start here.

Those that remain in the villages are faced with acute shortages of potable water. Where it exists, it is often polluted. Many wells, have become unusable, and need to be rehabilitated.