Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association, together with The Chijnaya Foundation and Pro-DIA, announce the implementation of the Altiplano Water Program – Peru, consisting of assistance to communities in the Andean Highlands of Southern Peru. The program is a part of our Latin America & Caribbean Water & Sanitation Initiative.
The program will be administered by The Chijnaya Foundation, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, through its operational arm, Associacion Pro-DIA, a legally-constituted Peruvian counterpart.
The Chijnaya Foundation was founded and is directed by Ralph Bolton, Ph.D., a well-known and respected anthropologist. Ralph, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Peru,’62-’65), received the 2015 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service from the National Peace Corps Association.
The program will be carried out by implementing a series of individual water and sanitation projects in approximately 27, communities in the Titicaca Basin of Southern Peru, including Chijnaya and neighboring villages.
The basin resides in the Puno region of Peru, located in the Collao Plateau. The western part of Lake Titicaca, which is the world’s highest navigable lake, is located in the region. To see a complete list of the political divisions in the region, CLICK HERE.
The program focuses on ensuring an adequate supply of safe drinking water using the appropriate technology for each village, with the objective of also providing water for sanitation, hygiene, and agriculture. Benefits will be sought in reducing morbidity and mortality, increasing food security, improving quality of life, and providing economic opportunities for direct participants and the community at large.
The program is open-ended, but is being started with an initial commitment by Water Charity in the amount of $50,000. The Paul Bechtner Foundation has provided the money to be used as funds to match, dollar-for-dollar, all other donations.
The National Peace Corps Association will provide additional funds, raised from its membership, through its Water and Sanitation Community Fund.
This is a community-led program to address problems raised by the water committees and governing bodies of the individual villages. A complete needs survey for the entire program is well underway, while specific project planning for projects in the first 5 villages is nearing completion, and preliminary planning continues for each successive village.
The design of each project will incorporate measures to maintain the improvements after completion, thus ensuring sustainability far into the future.
Water Charity and NPCA are deploying a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who is experienced in community development and project administration to assist each community to prioritize its needs, examine alternative solutions and choose a methodology, draft detailed plans, implement and manage the construction, and provide evaluation and reporting.
The first project under the program is the Menor Chijnaya Health Post Water System Project – Peru
Use the Donate button below to donate to the program. Every contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar.