Implementation: Week One

Bula (Hello) everyone!

We finally had a moment to update the blog! Things have been busy in Fiji on our implementation trip as we prepare for construction. During the week, we get up at 6:15am and work until 6pm, with a short break for lunch. After dinner, we have group meetings to discuss our day's findings and plan for construction. We were glad to have a rest day yesterday, because we had no time this last week to have some down time and recuperate.

We (Adrienne, Maggie, Thomas, and myself- Kelly) arrived on Monday afternoon (August 2) after a long long day of traveling- we took four planes and each one seemed successively smaller... the smallest plane held about 12 people and was a little frightening! But it provided a nice aerial tour of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu on our trip from Suva to Savusavu. When we arrived in Savusavu, Amini from the Dream Machine Foundation was there to greet us- which was great! We stopped at the grocery store for bottled water, got lunch, went to the hardware store, and then headed to Buca Bay on the bumpy, unpaved Hibiscus Highway.

On Day 2, Tuesday (August 3), we woke up to a large breakfast prepared by Ase, who is cooking for us at the Dream Machine Foundation House. We headed to the Mission at Natuvu Creek to meet Dr. Anibal and his wife Adrianna, as well as Lina and some of the nurses. The Mission has allowed us to set up our office and lab in a large room on the bottom floor.

After the Mission, we headed to Vunikura, one of the villages we are working in. In Vunikura we are rerouting the pipe from their storage tank- currently it just passes unprotected over a river, merely held up by sticks. We are going to pass the pipe under a bridge using galvanized steel pipe casing with metal clamps, which can attach to the bridge's I-beams. [Hopefully this fix will mean they won't have to repair their pipe every time there is a large storm. Currently large flows down the river wash out the pipe, leaving the village without water for up to a week. ] We were impressed to see that all the men in the village were working on digging (keli-keli) a trench for the new pipe!

After lunch, we headed to Buca, where we will be replacing their leaking main distribution line with a larger pipe. We met with some men from the village's water committee, Asaeli, Wame, Mosese, and Lasaga, and were glad to see that the men in Buca were digging as well! The villages have been waiting a year since Deborah and Justin's assessment trip, and it seems that they are anxious to replace their old pipeline.

That night, we headed to a community meeting in the village of Loa, where we will be repairing broken sections of pipe and installing 3 small biosand filters. We told the villagers our plans and asked for their input, with Amini translating. They seemed glad we were there to help with their largest leaks.

On Day 3, Wednesday (August 4th), we headed back to Vunikura and hiked up to their water source with Williame (headman) and Arone (pipeline guide), where we took water samples, then walked along their pipeline to the tank (stopping for new coconut water, or Bu, fresh from the tree along the way!) for more water samples.

In the afternoon we headed to Buca, where we identified all 45 laterals coming off their main water distribution line. The laterals were installed piece-meal and most are not glued, causing numerous leaks. Additionally, there are septic tanks right next to many of the laterals, so there is the potential that leachate could travel into their lines. We hope to reorganize the laterals from the distribution line, provide glue to stop obvious leaks, and set them away from septic tanks as much as possible.

On Day 4, Thursday (August 5), we had a tour of Vunikura's village water line and taps, where we identified the leaks in the village and took water quality samples at 5 taps. Many of the taps are broken off, or are ill-connected. We hope to replace or improve many of these connections to help with water pressure problems in the village; low pressure in the pipeline means less water coming out of taps and also means that septic leachate below ground can travel into the pipe easier.

In the afternoon, we went to Buca for a feast! The women in the village made us a meal of curries, wace (cassava leaf patties with garlic and onion), cassava root, rice, and pastries. There was enough food for 25 people, made just for the four of us! The food was delicious and it was nice to talk with the village women. After our meal, we took water samples at seven taps in the village.

On Day 5, Friday (August 6), we headed to Loa in the morning to walk their water line within the village. They have some very large leaks on the east side of the village, so large that they have to shut off the water on that side of the village for most of the day. If the water is left on, there is no water pressure left for the rest of the village. It was very hot and after our tour of the line, we enjoyed some more Bu (green coconut water) with Jesoni, the head of the water committee, and Jim, also on the water committee.

In the afternoon, we had a tour of the Mission slow sand filter water treatment system with another Mosese, who is in charge of all the filter maintenance. We took water samples at 6 points along the system - at the source, at the outlet pipe at the sand filter, after being filtered through the sand filter, in two of the storage tanks, and from the Mission taps.

In the evening, we went to Loa to listen to some Fijian and American music played by Jim and a third Mosese, which was quite nice.

On Day 6, Saturday (August 7), we traveled to Savusavu to relax, dip our toes in the ocean, and pick up some more water and supplies.

The food is delicious here- we have been eating so much! There is no meat, but lots of cassava, bread, and vegetarian protein. The weather is variable - changing from hot and drier to cooler and very humid, but it has been mostly comfortable.

We anticipate another full week of work ahead! Hopefully, we receive all the supplies early in the week and begin construction in all three villages. We will update again most likely next weekend - so Moce (goodbye) for now!

Adrienne, Kelly, Maggie, and Thomas