You might say week two in the field was just more of week one.
Our four-person team installed Tippy-Taps, taught the children basic hygiene education, and involved all the students in learning how to wash their hands properly. It was a whole new experience for us and the kids!
Different little smiling faces followed Jen around, new enthusiastic teachers smiled with helping hands, and the conditions at each school made it a unique and rewarding week.
Our mission is threefold:
Clean Water Infrastructure ~ A private foundation which wishes to remain anonymous is funding 17 public wells, 100 latrines and 268 Bio-Sand Filters in the communities of Char, Romeat and Kandal. The Getting Water Right Team is identifying the recipients of these infrastructure improvements, securing the recipients agreement to install the hardware, we will be supplying, and finally setting up a village level manufacturing area to construct the nearly 700 cement rings needed to build the latrines and dug wells.
School-based Hygiene Education ~ The same private foundation is funding a grassroots school-based hygiene program to teach children about basic hygiene and hand-washing using the Tippy-Tap and “glitter ball” to prevent the spread of disease.
Making Children Happy ~ The Rotary Club of Bath, Maine is also supporting our trip and wishes us to “do good things” with their generous donation. We have finished one soccer field in Romeat, put a roof on the school addition in Char, purchased teaching aids for the kindergarten in both Romeat and Char, and next week we will finish the soccer field in Kandal. There are some very happy villagers and kids right now! Each time the students complete a hygiene class, or build a Tippy-Tap, the school gets a nice soccer ball…happy-happy!
Another great week in the Kingdom of little kids giggling!
Next week…
All the primary school kids will have received a notebook and pencil. (Many kids have neither and come to school empty handed).
Establish additional latrine locations
Meeting with chiefs from next year’s target villages to discuss program
Setting up manufacturing facility in Romeat for the latrine and well rings
Looking at completing private home-based Tippy-Taps correlating with student requests.
Jen and Rich