This project has been completed under the direction of Tamara Brennan.
To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
Report on the completion of the Progreso Water Project
We are pleased to report that the project to bring water to the residents of Progreso was completed in the fall of 2015. This project involved a lot of planning over many months carried out by the representatives of the community, Francisco Barrios and Tamara Brennan from the Sexto Sol Center. Originally the people asked for a very long water line to bring water from 13 kilometers away. Together we adjusted their original request with a more feasible plan of building a water tank high above the settlement so that water from a closer source would have the pressure needed to reach all the homes. This meant a substantial savings on materials and will require much less maintenance for the community.
The work began in July. The men from the community collaborated to build the large holding tank constructed from the cinder block and concrete provided. The roof was built from corrugated metal to protect the water from contamination. After a necessary delay, the 2″ hose was laid down from the source to the tank. Since the route for the hose goes through the middle of people’s cornfields, they had to wait for the corn to be harvested. Corn is the staple food for the families and this year it was partially damaged by two months of drought early in the rainy season. Severe drought has happened for the last two years during the growing season, leaving many people in the region without corn. The new water system can now serve to provide backup irrigation to protect the corn if drought were to happen again. It can also allow people to grow food in the dry season. In such a poor village as Progreso, this is a significant development for families.
In April, 2015, Averill Strasser and Beverly Rouse of Water Charity visited Progreso and met the people who live in very modest conditions. The people are delighted that their water needs have been met. They send their gratitude to the people whose generosity has so significantly improved life in their community.
