November 30th , 2011 was one of the most memorable days of my service. This one day encompassed my desire to join the Peace Corps: professional development work and personal adventures. In the morning my Health Committee presented to the community a Composting Latrine project that we designed together, and in the afternoon we went hunting in the jungle.
The Committee members presented the idea of Composting Latrines (usage and maintenance), how they could improve health, and the benefit to their agricultural products. They also presented a Work Plan, which is to solicit an agency for 4 latrines to be built at the Committee member’s homes. Rules for participation were also given, and exactly what each family will contribute to the project.
Sitting there on the piragua, filing my machete, I had never felt more satisfied.
The rules are:
1. Attend 3 Health Talks
2. Carry materials and participate in all work days to build latrines
3. Sufficient wood to build the enclosure for the latrine, before construction begins
4. Have 3 sacs of dry material to be used for composting, before construction beings.
5. Each family pays $5 to the Treasurer, which they will receive in return if they participate in all days of work. If they miss a day of work, they will not receive their $5, and in turn have to pay $10.
1. Attend 3 Health Talks
2. Carry materials and participate in all work days to build latrines
3. Sufficient wood to build the enclosure for the latrine, before construction begins
4. Have 3 sacs of dry material to be used for composting, before construction beings.
5. Each family pays $5 to the Treasurer, which they will receive in return if they participate in all days of work. If they miss a day of work, they will not receive their $5, and in turn have to pay $10.
Family Contribution
To show the agencies that the community really wants latrines, each family is going to put down all the wood necessary to build the latrine, as well as manual labor. Including materials and manual labor, each latrine costs about $500.
Peace Corps as a Bridge
The project is designed to solicit Panamanian Agencies with a long-term agenda for developing Composting Latrines. I have given PowerPoint presentations on Composting Latrines to the PASAP, the Panamanian Minsitry of Health’s Water and Sanitation wing. After the first 4 latrines are built, the Health Committee needs to give updates on the progress of the project. Once those updates are given, the community and the agency can then work together on a bigger project. Thus bridging the community and the agency, and removing Peace Corps from the process entirely.
Processes and Friendships
The goal is to take the Health Committee through the process of designing, soliciting, maintaining a Pilot Project of 4 latrines. After the community sees how the latrine works, the Health Committee initiates the same process to solicit a bigger project. This allows for a greater impact on health because the community will see their neighbors properly using a latrine, and hopefully follow. For a community that is consistently handed out projects, this project will be one that they themselves initiated and executed. Finally, it gives a sense of pride and ownership that they haven’t ever felt before. Everybody loves accomplishing a challenge.
After the meeting my close friends Atilio and Misael were elated. We looked at each other and said – “Let’s go hunting!” We blast out on the Chucunaque River with rifles, machetes, and dogs. As we are riding up river, they both said to me: “Moises, I never thought that I would be up in front of my community presenting a project…”
That pie chart is mind-blowing. Congrats on your accomplishments, well done!
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