This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Casey Velasquez.
To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to build a water storage tank at the school.
Casey reports:
About a week ago we finished the project for the water tank in my site of Sta. Maria Chicimula.
Thanks to funding provided by Water Charity, the Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta (EORM) of Chuaquisis, Sta. Maria Chiquimula, was able to construct a water storage tank above the school’s kitchen.
Students can now get water any time they want it. They are establishing healthy habits of washing their hands and brushing their teeth. This access to water also makes it possible to prepare a nutritious snack for the students, providing much needed nutrition to a community suffering gravely from malnutrition.
Construction on the water tank project was started in late July and completed in mid-August. The community encountered some challenges in the construction of the storage tank. Due to a miscalculation, the support column was inadequate for the oversized tank that was mistakenly ordered. This caused a cost increase and additional time to complete the structure. Teachers and community members, however, pitched in to complete the project.
The community is pleased with the final project and the benefits it provides the community, particularly the children. One father, Sr. Miguel Lopez, commented that the storage tank provides the water that is critical for the students to be able to practice healthy habits. Another community member, Sr. Maxamiliano Joj, commented that access to water at school is so important since often there is a lack of water in the home. Without water, he said, maintaining one’s health is difficult.
The success of the water storage tank in EORM Chuaquisis and other projects like it is attributed to the collective efforts of community members, teachers, volunteers and NGOs like Water Charity. When communities identify their needs and proactively develop and implement solutions, great things can be accomplished.
We extend our thanks to Casey for completing this project and to the Paul Bechtner Foundation for providing the funding
