Water Project in El Salvador

Gabe Neymark

Water Project in El Salvador

El Salvador is known by most for its gang violence and high homicide rate. However, this is not the story of the entire nation. In actuality, once outside of the city, El Salvador is filled with a rich culture and many loving people. Through my trip with the Colorado State University Chapter of Engineers WithoutBorders (EWB-CSU) and the help of the honors enrichment award I was granted the opportunity to experience the country beyond its portrayal in the news.

On January 5 our travel team arrived to the small mountain community of La Criba to continue work on a water distribution system. EWB-CSU has been working on this project since 2011 and despite the complications, both technical and political, we have been determined to work with the community to finish this project. I traveled in January 2015 as well making this was my second trip to La Criba.Upon our arrival we were welcomed by the community leaders. The leaders recognized those who had come on past trips and greeted with excitement those who were arriving for the first time. We then met the woman with the traditional kiss on the cheek.

Following greetings we walked through the community to get reoriented and show the first time travelers what had been implemented so far over the course of the project. To get an idea of La Criba, it has one dirt road that goes around it and many small trails that cut through its center to various houses. Its population is a little over 800 people and cows, chickens, and dogs roam through street. The ADESCO, which is the governing board of the community consists of around ten men but we normally work with about four of them. Their names are Gonzalo, Octavio, Maximino, and Napoleon. They have great vision for the future of La Criba and an unsurpassed commitment to alleviate the shortage of water in the community.

Members of the ADESCO

After walking through the community we sat down for dinner with the community leaders. The meals are cooked by woman in the community who volunteer to cook for us. Breakfast is usually simple and consists of tortillas, beans, and fried plantains. Lunch is the largest meal of the day and consists of tortillas, beans or rice, a main dish such as chicken or soup, and fresh juice. Dinner is also usually large and similar to lunch. However, depending on the day there are pupusas instead of tortillas. A pupusa is essentially a tortilla with the beans and cheese cooked directly into the tortilla. They are a traditional meal in El Salvador and never fail to be a group favorite!

Pupusas!

Following dinner we laid out our camp pads, hung up our bug nets and fell asleep to the sound of the wind. Upon waking up it was time to commence work on the project. Specifically, the goal for this trip was to finish installation of the line that carries water from a well to the top of a hill overlooking the community and then test that the water would be carried to the top of the hill. The days followed as such: eat breakfast around 8am, begin work on the project around 8:30am, break for lunch at 12pm, work from about 1pm to 6pm, eat dinner, and finally meet with the community leaders to discuss what would be done the next day. Overall, the trip was successful and water arrived to the top of hill overlooking the community when we tested the system. The next step which includes the construction of a water storage tank on the hill and the installation of a distribution line from the tank will be completed by the Japanese Embassy in El Salvador. The role of EWB-CSU is to now teach the community about maintenance of the system in order that the system does not become obsolete if one small portion of it malfunctions. This task is vital to project sustainability and I believe it provides on of the greatest lessons in the project. I have learned that in order for projects to be sustainable in developing areas, the community must know how the system works and how to maintain it. If the education aspect is missed then the project becomes obsolete as soon as anything breaks down.

View of La Criba from hill where water storage tank will be constructed

Beyond the technical and leadership experience gained, this trip sparked friendships that exceed the barriers of culture and language. It was a gift to have the opportunity to collaborate with the community of La Criba. It was a gift to see graciousness of the community when water arrived to the top of the hill. It was a gift to learn about the lives of the community members and transform my perception of El Salvador from a place of chaos and violence to a place that contains people with the rich spirits. Many thanks to the honors enrichment program for assisting in making this experience possible.

EWB-CSU Travel Team with Three of the Community Leaders During Pump Testing