Day 3 - Meet, Greet and Plan!

Today we visited Union Roja so that the team could beginning planning with the people there. We arrived at the water building around 10:00 am where we met Ismael and Raul. Aides, the chair of the education committee, met us there also.

The installers, Mike and Doug, started with an orientation of the system, how it works, what to expect over the coming days. They also made some decisions about the system and some additional construction that needs to occur such as putting concrete on top of the cistern to support the rotplas (container that will hold the clean water).

While that was taking place, the trainers, Kendle and Sandy, visited the training facility that we would use with Aides.

We concluded the morning with some team planning and lunch at the home of Aides.

After lunch, the team split up. I went with Sandy, Kendle and Febe to Tapacula to buy training supplies as well as a few additional parts. Mike and the others hiked through the woods to Salvador Urbina where they visited the system there and people in town.

During the day we were approached by several people. It is not uncommon when we make these trips to be approached by persons who want us to visit their town to put in a system and there is no shortage of interest for sure. One of them is a fellow from furhter up the mountain who appearantly has a system in place in his village, but the persons who have the system at their home appear (from my weak understanding of spanish) to be trying to turn the system into a for-profit business. I am going to visit him on Tuesday afternoon and try to help rectify that situation.

We are also due to visit our friend Adam in the village of El Aguila where there is a system installed by our friend John Mather from Phoenix. No work planned there, just a friendly visit.

We did have some car troubles with our driver, Julio, as his car broke, so he had to find a friend to help. However, we should be back on track today.

As a side note, I left my cable to transfer images in my room, so I will post some pictures later.

More to follow...