What does it feel like to carry 40 pounds of water on your head for 20 minutes, 3-5 times a day, everyday? Just ask the women in Alto Playón and throughout much of the Comarca Emberá-Wounaan. Everyone in the world has a system for water in their house. Whether you carry it, use rainwater, have a gravity driven system, or pumps and pipes send it to your faucet.
I took a survey as qualitative and quantitative study of the water situation in the community. I spoke with the women about how much water they use on a daily basis, and whether or not they treat their water. Here are the results:
I took a survey as qualitative and quantitative study of the water situation in the community. I spoke with the women about how much water they use on a daily basis, and whether or not they treat their water. Here are the results:
The Daily Water Usage results told me that the current system has enough capacity to deliver their water needs. I also learned that most families don't like to chlorinate their water and that I could make an impact educating households on treating their water.
Although this was an information gathering exercise, it was also to raise consciousness around water. I presented this information to the Water Committee to motivate them to start running the aqueduct again. We re-tooled the monthly payments, laid down new rules - such as being cut off from the system for those who don't pay. In a town meeting the President presented this to the community and only 16 families chose to participate.
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