New Settings: Time, Place, Etc.

Filling jugs of water at Agua Muisne in Cabo San Francisco

I had loose plans to work in Guatemala for my 3^rd and final leg of this hydrophilic mission, but the project wasn’t right – too short and not sustainable. I respectfully declined, and trusted something better would turn up. Turn up it did in no time at all, with help from my observant girlfriend and a stroke of luck. Following a chance sighting at a bulletin board posting and a few emails, a volunteer placement for me was devised. It is with a foundation called Agua Muisne and turning out to be a perfect fit

We learned in English class to lead with the setting.

My trip’s original goal was to help people while gaining breadth of understanding; to see how people in different places deal with unique water problems and how I could apply myself. During the weeks after leaving China, I faced a tough choice: stay in Latin America as planned, for an ambiguous new project; or return to a solid situation and re-join my team, continuing where we left off. Many may laugh at my calling the decision of which foreign continent to spend the next few months a “tough choice”. But it is always tough when your heart tells you one thing and your gut says another. As usual, I went with the old gut and stuck to the original goal.

Fortune struck after Ruth discovered Agua Muisne in Ecuador. Staying in the country to give this NPO a try saved time, a ticket, and gave hope for what sounded like a good situation. I am in Esmeraldas Province on the North Coast of Ecuador, continuing the mission. Water situations around the world vary due to landscape, climate, culture, education, religion, government, and a community’s level of development. The only constant is water’s importance to every human’s daily existence. If the situations in Eastern Taiwan and Yunnan China are on two ends of a spectrum, then Esmeraldas Ecuador lies somewhere in between:

• In rainy, well developed Eastern Taiwan, I found water issues in the realm of university research; searching for new ways to use deep ocean water. 
• In drought ridden Yunnan China with villages hardly developed at all, the main challenge is simply access to faraway sources of water. 
• Here in Esmeraldas Ecuador, the coastal towns are larger but not quite cities. There is moderate development and water everywhere – in the rain, rivers, and only a couple meters below ground. The problem is having safe, clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing.

Lacking technical expertise, few of the coastal towns here had water purification systems before Agua Muisne came along. Year-round heat and the very Ecuadorian desire for instant gratification make boiling impractical. Plastic bottles arrive on trucks from Esmeraldas City (an urban jungle with people who drive much too fast, dangerously fast). The water is expensive, questionable in quality, and a creator of bastante plastic trash. As a result, residents often resort to drinking untreated rain, river, and well water directly.

Heriberto taking samples

So here I am with Agua Muisne, a tiny foundation trying to do a lot. It was started by Alexander Harding, a young American who strikes you as one who has his act very together. He spent his ten day break from med-school here, and we formed a friendship born of shared motivations and respect. Noble, rather ambitious Agua Muisne began as a project to treat and deliver clean water to the people of Muisne town, but it has grown into a program that includes several treatment facilities in towns across the coastal province. Some are more effective than others (they range from 15%-80% community acceptance**).

At the center of it all is my partner, Heriberto - a jolly, energetic Ecuadorian with a gummy smile. He is our man on the ground and my ambassador to his country. Along with handling all daily Agua Muisne affairs without pay for the past four years, Heri is a part time preacher man in the Christian church, in a country and culture that is predominantly Catholic. Also, he is a family man and owns a restaurant in which he cooks and runs with his wife. For two weeks, I ate nearly every meal there and never got sick of it. If the food could be rated good, the jugos y batidos (juices and milkshakes) are good+++. Fruit juices of Ecuador almost require their own blog post…

At the restaurant in Muisne

Mompiche

Since and during those first couple of weeks, I traveled up and down this part of the coast to check on and work at the different water systems. One fishing village turned surf town is called Mompiche, famous for having one of the longest left-running waves in South America. Unfortunately for the people there, the groundwater is terrible, causing them many problems (eg. skin and throat infections) and problems to the water treatment system. Fortunately for me, that translates into many work opportunities. I’ve visited a few times, and will start a new project there next week, as soon as my big project is complete. My “big project” has taken place over the past three weeks: designing, building, and launching a water purification system for the community of Estero de Platano, a little fishing village not found on maps, and lacking in both phone and internet service. 

Now that you’re caught up on my new settings, it is finally time for the good stuff, so stay tuned. I’ve attempted to do it justice, and will post soon. Thanks for reading.

Felipe

Filthy water in Mompiche

**The 15% community acceptance of our well functioning system in Muisne is much too low. With a population of 30,000 people, that leaves over 25,000 who are not drinking clean water but could be. This is a good example of how the technical challenges pale in comparison to ones related to education and publication. Lacking funds and manpower, Agua Muisne is hard pressed to tackle this. However, after a chance meeting with a volunteer organizer from England, I may have secured us a continuous supply of 3-week gap-year volunteers…

What was 80% in Mompiche is actually now 0%, since problems have caused a stop in supply, allowing other water vendors to move in as we discovered many problems and halted operation. The reputation will be won back naturally, being the vendor selling the cleanest water for the cheapest price (no profit). Many townspeople actually don’t know how good they have it because rumors, lack of notice, and misinformation are afoot.