Agua Potable - Semesche

Beginning in the middle of last month our team began work on a water project for the community of Semesche.  We had been working for quite some time on the Semesche project, actually all the way back to February of this year.  Through various answered prayers and much time spent walking with the community, we finally arrived at a point to start construction.  Below are two pictures taken of the spring before any construction began.

During past water projects, all the construction work (concrete and pipe) had been done during a visiting team from the U.S.  This time around we decided to change our project management methods a bit and attempt to have all the "gray construction" done before a team arrived.  Below are a few pictures of some of the "gray construction".

Excavation of the spring site.

Forming up the Spring Box

Finished spring box.

Tank site.

Finished tank, two sides holding about 3000L each.

We also had all our PVC materiales ordered well before the team arrived to make sure we had everything needed.  This is a picture of our storage building for all the PVC parts.  

Another thing we have been focusing on doing better of is training our local team.  This is a picture of our local Water Tech Julio, giving a presentation to the visiting team on the Semesche Project Design.  Julio talked through all the main principle lines, service lines and valved boxes.  It was an amazing experience to watch and participate in this process with Julio. 

On Friday the team was scheduled to arrive in Coban and then travel to Semesche on Saturday to begin putting pipe in the ground.  Before leaving to head out to meet the team in Coban on Friday, I walked the system with the guys from the community.  By Friday at noon, we had just finished walking the line and no trench had been dug.  We had over 2km of pipe to get in the ground in 4 days, and it would be pretty tough to do this without trench.  By the time we arrived in Semesche around noon on Saturday with the visiting team, 91 men from the community had already dug over 1km of line... extremely impressive!  Pictured below is 2" principle line waiting to be glued and laid in the trench.  

Mark is pictured opening up the cleaning valve at the lowest point in the system while we were testing the water pressure on Tuesday.  An amazing amount of water!!

Here is water coming out of the spigot by the Semesche school.

Thanks the the KnoxProCorp team of December 2012 for helping us make the Semesche project a reality!!  

Eight New Libraries in the Valley

To go along with the season of giving thanks, I (DeeDee) have realized recently how lucky I was to grow up in a country that values and encourages literacy and that provides FREE education all the way through the twelfth grade (as compared to the 6 grades that are offered free here in Guatemala; afterward, a family must make substantial monetary and other sacrifices to pursue further education for their children).  This appreciation has been further emphasized though both my experience of speaking about literacy in the community health fairs and through my experience of helping to set up eight different libraries within the Valley... which I am going to post about today.

For the past year or so, I have been working to collect books in both Q’eqchi’ and Spanish for rural libraries here in the Valley.  I ended up with an average of 120 new books per library, ranging from a copy of the Guatemala Constitution, to several books on the history of the Mayans, to both Q'eqchi' and Spanish versions of the Bible, to a “how-to” booklet on gardening, to a collection of Q’eqchi’ recipes, to countless classic fairytales and other books for children.  You can see the books stacked behind me in the picture below.

I also spent a substantial amount of time developing a system of organization and classification for the libraries.  I chose to use a system of loaning using a traditional library card, and upon the suggestion of the director of ChildAid (a nonprofit organization that works with libraries in Guatemala), I decided to use a simple version of the Dewey Decimal system to classify the books.  I knew teaching the Dewey Decimal system to Q'eqchi' Mayans, some of which barely speak Spanish, would be a challenge, so I planned a day-long training session for the chosen librarians of each community.  In the training session, I also addressed making rules for the libraries (such as a small fee for loaning books that would help create some income that could be used to maintain the library and purchase more books) and ways to present the libraries to their communities.  

Below I am leading the training.  One of my favorite moments from the training was when we were talking about the Dewey Decimal system and having the books ordered by topic with a number on the binding to identify that topic, and one of the librarians lit up and said with excitement, "So you're saying that our books are going to be numbered and ordered, just like the libraries in the city?!"  It's the simple things...

After the day-long training, we had an afternoon in which we actually handed over the books to the librarians.  I gave a short synopsis of the subject material of each book, and then they touched each book as they placed a classification label on its binding.  This was also a very exciting time for them and for me.  I would assume that the majority of these people had never before placed their hands on so many brand-new books.  You can see them smiling and hard at work below.

Finally came time for them to carry their books and new metal bookshelves home.  We were able to help carry some of the boxes and bookshelves part of the way in Christian's truck, but some had to haul theirs the whole way on foot (possibly a two-hour hike up and down and up again!).  You tell me that the guys below weren't invested in the work of starting a library in their community!  (Yes, one man is carrying that large bookcase on his forehead!)

My defining moment of this whole process of establishing libraries actually happened yesterday in the community of Secaj.  We had told the librarians that we would love to be present to help support them when they presented their libraries to their communities.  Secaj was the first community to set their date, so yesterday Kris and I made the hour and a half hike in the misting rain up to their school.  We arrived a little late for the 1 pm meeting, only to find that not a soul was present.  After some phone calls, we found out that the meeting was actually scheduled for 2.  So we waited and waited and about 2:30 the librarian finally showed up, a few more people trickled in afterward, and we finally started the meeting at 3.  Right about the time that we were finishing up and ready to hike back, more and more people were finding their way into the little school room.  (Don't worry... this is very typical for a Valley meeting).  

What was beautiful about this meeting was that I opened up the meeting with some greetings and words to the community, but the librarian then carried it on in Q'eqchi', passing on his training in the classification and order of the books, the loaning system, the necessity for a list of rules (which he planned to make with the community leaders), and his plan to present the library to the rest of the community.  And you couldn't wipe the smile off of his face the whole time.  I could tell that he was really taking ownership of this project to promote literacy in his community... and the people present seemed just as excited.  He nor I could have been any prouder.  

I only pray that these books find their way into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of men and women and children in the Valley... and I pray that through the novelty of words on a page they will find a whole new world of knowledge and adventure opened up to them.

Another Guatemalan Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving.  When that word is spoken, many memories run through my mind, such as being with my family, making Indian costumes out of brown paper bags, the feel of the cool, crisp fall air, leaves that have changed and now cover the dying grass.  And oh the aromas of various foods: sweet potatoes, turkeys, honey-baked hams, homemade macaroni and cheese and pecan pie. 

This Thanksgiving Day DeeDee and I were once again in Guatemala.  Being in a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving Day like we do in the States made it a bit of challenge to schedule when we would have our celebration, but it all turned out for the best.  Last Thursday was an ordinary workday for us here in Guatemala, but we had made plans to celebrate our “Día de Gracias” on Saturday.  As we began to make these plans, our list invites kept growing.  Just beginning with our two U.S. families (one of two and another of seven) our number was off to a rather large start, but we then decided that we wanted to invite all of our CAFNIMA team members and their families to celebrate this day with us.  And a couple of days later, we realized that we would be rude to not include the construction manager for our most recent water project, as well as the presenter for our training of community leaders (who just so happened to bring along his two daughters, as well).  In the end we had 22 adults and 11 children surrounding our tables. 

What was so neat for us, just like last year, was that our U.S. tradition of this day began with two very different cultures sitting (I think they actually stood) around a table together.  For us, Saturday was the closest we have ever been to that old tradition, where around our table people from different backgrounds and speaking various languages sat and fellowshipped.  It was a day to truly to be thankful for.

But now for some of the dirty details of preparing a meal for 33 people…

Last year the Colvetts and we went out on a limb and pit-cooked a turkey.  This called for digging a 3 foot by 3 foot by 3 foot hole in the ground, building a huge fire in said hole, letting it burn to ashes, dropping the turkey in the ground, and covering it all back up with dirt, all in order to dig it back out after 12 or 15 hours of cooking.  Well, last year the turkey was one of the best any of us had ever had, and we had talked it up quite a bit with everyone who was coming to share in our special dinner… but this year… in the end it turned out quite good as well, but it did not happen as planned…

Early Friday morning DeeDee and I began digging the hole.  We then spent about an hour chopping up all our firewood with machetes.  Around 2pm we started our fire, then we dropped the bird (all 26 pounds of it) into the hole at about 8pm, covered it with dirt and said “good night.”  The next morning around 10am we began the excavation process.  As I was digging the hole again, things did not seem quite the same as the year before.  The delicious turkey juice smell was not present, and the ground did not seem to be as warm.  We finally got the turkey out of the ground and unwrapped it (2 layers of tinfoil, about 6 very large banana leaves and some chicken wire) to find that the bird was not done… not done at all, in fact… butter not even really melted.

Watch out... I'm pretty scary with a machete in hand!

Thanks to our Guatemalan friend Ricardo for helping us get this fire started... not without the assistance of a little kerosene, mind you.

Our secret ingredients... rosemary and honey.

The turkey prepped and ready to go into the ground!

By this time it was 10:30am and we had planned to eat around noon.  Now remember, we live in a place that has no electricity and no stove.  How would we finishing cooking this turkey in time for lunch or at all?!  Our saving grace came from Nina’s idea to create a makeshift oven out of our gas stove.  After moving the turkey over to the griddle on the stove, tenting over the turkey with a few more layers of tinfoil, and about 2 hours of cooking, the bird was finally ready to be served (minus one little section that did not get done that we had to pan sear).  We had save the turkey after all!

All in all, the turkey, the cream style corn, the stovetop sweet potatoes, the green beans, the stuffing, the gravy, the cranberry sauce and the sweet tea (not to mention the company we enjoyed it with) made for a fabulous Thanksgiving Day feast. 

Julio's wife Elsa with Julito licking his fork clean!

Kris with Roberto and sweet little Wilson Cristobal.

Cesar and family.

The youngest McKinney very obviously enjoying her oreo dessert.

Julio and family.

Roberto and family.

Sweet Aura before she said goodbye.

Self-Esteem, Literacy, Training Locals, and a Chicken Coop

I (DeeDee) have been staying busy lately helping with health fairs that we have been hosting in almost all 16 of the communities that we work in.  The health fair is made up of four stations: Kitchen and Deworming, Water and Latrines, Organic Gardening, and Self-Esteem and Literacy.  The stations consist of interactive lectures and demonstrations, encouraging the people to adopt healthy practices in all areas of their lives.  We have also been utilizing the secondary students of the Valley to help us teach in each of the stations.  I have been working with Roberto in the station of Self-Esteem and Literacy, and I have focused specifically on self-esteem.  Since the majority of our participants have been women, I have adapted my part of the lecture to specifically speak to a woman’s importance in her work in the home and her right/responsibility to become a leader in her community.  At the end of my lecture, I have all of the women stand up together and say, “I am important because I’m made by God.”  I’m hoping that these few words said aloud will begin to sink in so that these beautiful women began to walk around with their chins held high and with the belief that they really have a purpose and a voice, if for no other reason than that they are made in His image.

Secondary students helping to demonstrate planting seeds in the organic gardening station.

More than anything, I have enjoyed sharing some good laughs with the women of the Valley.

Last week, I also devoted the majority of my time to working with Julio as he attempted to complete his final exams for his literacy classes.  As many of you know, Julio is our water technician that works with us day-in and day-out in the Valley.  He is very bright, but as is the case with many children in the Valley who drop out of school to help work with their families, he only completed his schooling up through the third grade.  Through the literacy courses that an organization called CONALFA offers in the Valley, Julio can study 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade material in just one year in order to earn his sixth grade diploma.  We finally got his final exams sent in on Monday, and we eagerly await the results!

Over the past few weeks, maybe close to 2 months now, I (Kris) have been focusing with Julio and Mark on training local water committees.  We have been working with three communities, two of which have older water systems and one we will begin construction in this coming Friday.  Our team sat down a few weeks ago and developed a three-session training curriculum where we are teaching about the administration, operation and maintenance of water systems.  It has been an up-and-down experience for me personally.  We are trying to set up systems that are not dependent upon us in the future; therefore, much time is needed in education and practice.  Also, there is so much difficulty in working three languages away and still having very little cultural understanding.  Nevertheless, moment-by-moment I can see progress being made. After a long, frustrating meeting last week with one community, I selfishly told Mark that I hope there is some type of reward along this road because going through the trenches is really starting to wear on me.  I said this to him in English, and then Julio riding in the back seat began to tell me (in Spanish) a little more details about the meeting.  He proceeded to inform me that one of the water committee representatives said towards the end of our meeting that he finally realized why the spigot near his house did not have water.  For almost a year now, his perception was that he did not have water because there was no water in the system, but at the meeting it was almost like a light bulb went off, and he said, “The reason I don’t have water is because we are not maintaining the system!”  And then another committee member, who is also a teacher in the local primary school, said that if the committee could not find a way to work together with the community, how could she effectively teach her students about team work(?).  It was as if Julio understood exactly what I was just venting to Mark and decided to lift my sprits by telling me these stories.  These realizations represent a huge step forward, especially the recognition of the connection between no water and bad maintenance of a system.  Slowly, day-by-day, week-by-week, I hope we can equip each community’s water committee with the tools and training needed to maintain their respective systems well into the future. 

Below you can see a picture of our new chicken coop.  We have been working on building this for the past several weeks since our team here in the Valley (Guatemalans and Americans) decided to all chip in and buy about a dozen chickens to supply us with our eggs.  Now that construction is done, all we need are the chicks!  The McKinneys actually had chickens at their home in the States, so the kids are especially excited to start caring for these friendly pets.    

This time I wanna end our post by sharing a joke that could probably make the show, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”  This week, since schools are now out of session, Cesar brought his wife and two children to stay with him in the Valley.  Several nights ago, as we sat down to eat dinner, the oldest daughter of the McKinneys looked down at the other end of the table, and with surprise in her voice said, “Both of Cesar’s kids are drinking coffee!”  To which we responded, “It’s really normal for kids in Guatemala to start drinking coffee at a very young age.”  She then followed up with the statement, “So maybe that’s why they’re that color!”  Makes perfect sense in a kid’s mind…

And here are a few more of our favorite Valley pics:

One of the benefits of the rainy season in the Valley...

One of the anti-benefits of buying a chicken in a supermarket in Coban...

The sweet girls that daily continue to steal our hearts...