Location
Aguas Frias, Joateca, Morazan, El Salvador
Community Description
The community of Aguas Frias can be found in the canton of Paturla, east of the municipality of Joateca in the department of Morazán. Currently, the community is struggling to find ways to gain access to potable drinking water, specifically for the school.
The only way to get water to the school from a natural water spring 300 meters away is to perforate the surface of the earth about 1 meter and fill buckets with the water which is then taken back to the school. Every day 2-4 children leave class to perform this process and provide water to their peers.
For many years, farmers and families working and living near the freshwater spring used it communally. During this time a small well was constructed to make the process easier for those who wanted to get water from the spring. As of 2008, when the school was constructed, the spring became a daily water source for its students, which they used to drink, cook and wash their hands.
Last year, in 2010, there was a landslide during the winter where the well had been, destroying the easy access it provided and leaving the community and the school without access to potable water.
Project Description
This project is to bring potable water to the school and the community. Specifically, a covered spring box will be built to allow community members to retrieve water for daily use. In addition, piping will be run from the spring box to the school through which water will be provided to the school.
The spring box will be built by erecting a cement wall around a ditch in the natural water spring. A cement cover will prevent leaves and other materials that might fall into the box from disrupting the flow of water.
The manual labor will be performed by the school advisory board, or the Asociación del Consejo Escolar, which is made up of parents of students who attend the school.
Project funds will be used to buy cement to construct the spring box and its cover and the cement base for the tank at the school, 200 meters of product tubing, which will run underground to the school, as well as the 1,100-liter Rotoplas tank, which will be placed at the school.
The teachers, students, and health promoters will be able to treat the water with a chlorine solution that kills parasites in the water by adding a few drops on a regular basis.
Project Impact
This project will benefit all of the 72 children, ages 4 to 14 years, who come from the communities of Estanzuela, Aguas Calientes, Coquinka and Cerro de Ocote Seco who attend the school. In addition, at least 200 other community members will benefit.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Shelby Fallon
Comments
This project will deliver safe drinking water to the school and relieve the students of the burden of hauling water each day.
In addition, the spring box will greatly benefit the community members who live near the spring and use it daily. This is expected to lead to a reduction in the number of cases of diarrhea and waterborne illness in the community.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative, together with friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Shelby Fallon.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Shelby of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Shelby and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.