Kim's Ramblings

Sunday, August 15

So we finally have internet access and wanted to update everyone at home regarding our project. First of all, this implementation is going great - it is like night and day compared to my previous implementation trip in India. The villagers are very excited about the work and our partner NGO really came through for us regarding communicating with the villagers as well as helping us sort out many logistical issues.

Shakeel and I arrived last Monday (we are 19 hours ahead of you folks back in the States), and we pretty much hit the ground running. The rest of the team had already been here for a week at that point and had loads to bring us up to speed on. Although we had spent a great deal of time planning for this trip back home, there were alot of scope issues that needed to be dealt with. For instance, Buca Village had dug up their entire village, exposing their existing distribution system. Originally, we had only planned on replacing the existing 2" pipeline with 4" pipeline, but after evaluating the site conditions, we determined that we should replace their entire distribution system. There were just too many unknowns with the existing laterals; they could be potential sources of contamination and since we were replacing the existing line anyway, we decided to go the extra mile (not quite literally but close) and create a water tight system in the village. Not only did we decide to replace the leaky laterals, but we closed the loop on the distribution system to improve their level of service (a shout out to WRK on that one).

It is one thing to plan a system on paper, but another thing entirely to build one, so this is where things started getting exciting. Shakeel held a few workshops on PVC pipeline construction, and I think some of us learned as much as the villagers regarding how to actually build a system in the field. As the week wore on, we all spent time in each of the villages to take part in tricky parts of the construction or for community meetings. By the end of the week, most of us were based primarily in one village to provide consistency, and Kelly, Adrienne and I were spending alot of our time in Buca Village - the villagers have taken to this very well and even embrace the idea that their project is being overseen primarily by the 'lewas' (the ladies).

The bridge crossing in Vunikura Village was a pretty amazing feat as well. We managed to install a galvanized steel pipeline underneath the bridge to act as a carrier pipe for a new 2" distribution line. This pipe replaced the existing river crossing that washes out during the rainy season. It was a tricky bit of construction, especially to ensure that everything was done as safely as possible, but we managed it. Next week we hope to finish up the section of new pipe installation between the tank and the village (~600 meters through the jungle). On Friday, we finished some pipeline repairs in Loa Village; the final repairs will take place on Monday and we start building the biosand filters there next week.

We have also been taking water samples at the sources and taps for the villages. The coliscan and the H2S methods seem to be working great, although our 'laboratory' area is directly adjacent to where we sleep and the aroma drifts into our sleeping quarters (not the best smell to wake up to). We visited the existing slow sand filter at the Mission near our project site to observe their operations and maintenance procedures, as well as to see if we could improve our existing slow sand filter design (building slow sand filters are on our agenda for Vunikura and Buca during future implementation trips). This was extremely interesting and I think we learned alot in terms of how we can optimize our proposed systems.

As far as the team, we are all in good spirits despite the fact that all of us except Kelly (knock on wood) have had some level of stomach discomfort since we have been here. Every one is working extremely hard and we are all getting along great, which is terrific since we spend every waking moment together!

That's all for now. Things are going great and we are on schedule to complete our construction in all of the villages prior to our departure. The people are amazing - the villagers are so thankful for our help and are very kind people. They are also a very sharing group - always trying to provide us with tea, kava, coconuts, etc. At the village meetings, they repeatedly thank us for our help and it is really heartwarming to be able to help such a wonderful group of people. Personally, I'm learning loads (if anyone ever needs help with a PVC system, I'm your gal), and so far this has been an absolutely amazing experience.