Location
Estanzuela, Township Paturla, Town of Joateca, Department of Morazan, El Salvador
Community Description
The community of Estanzuela in the township of Paturla lies 2 km from the town of Joateca, in the mountainous Northeastern portion of El Salvador on the border with Honduras. The main source of income in the community is farming, specifically corn and beans.
The community is home to around 45 families, a little over 200 inhabitants.
The school in Estanzuela is an elementary school with grades kindergarten to 6th, and has 32 students. The water for the school comes from a natural spring 250 meters north of the school.
The spring is owned by a community member who also uses the water for his fish farm; thus he has not allowed for the treatment of the water with a chlorine solution from the spring in the one tank that holds the water, as this action would kill his fish. Unfortunately, parasites and diarrhea are two of the biggest health issues for this community, and cannot be prevented in this situation.
From the cement tank at the natural spring, the water runs in tubes to a tank at the school. The school tank currently rests upon a rotting and leaking frame. This tank lies right next to where the children have their recess, and where the mothers cook lunch, providing a potential danger to both the children and mothers.
Project Description
This project is to build a water system to serve the school. A new cement tank will be built at the natural spring. Piping will then be installed to transport the water to a new storage tank at the school.
The tank at the spring will measure 1.5 meters square. The piping will run underground a distance of 250 meters.
The new Rotoplas storage tank will have a capacity of 1,100 liters, and will be placed on top of the kitchen.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase the Rotoplas tank, as well as 150 bricks, 6 bags of cement, and the PVC piping.
The labor will be done without charge by a 5-person workgroup made up of parents of the students.
The water in the new tank will be treated with a chlorine solution at the uphill spring tank by the health promoter.
Project Impact
This project will benefit all of the 32 children, ages 4 to 13 who attend the school, as well as their teacher, 25 mothers who cook lunches daily for the children, and 50 community members who attend health and other meetings.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Shelby Fallon
Comments
The project creates a system to provide an uninterrupted source of clean water for the use of students, staff, and the community.
Shelby previously completed the Aguas Frias Water System Project – El Salvador.
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 Paul Bechtner Foundation.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Shelby Fallon 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.