Cano Negro, a large wildlife preserve, is about 45 minutes south and west of Los Chiles. The land is relatively flat, with cattle ranches and farms that grow manioc, oranges, and sugar cane. Chompipera is a small group of very simple houses near Cano Negro. A member of the Los Chiles Methodist church works in the area and mentioned Chompipera to Agua Viva.
In mid-May, a team with the Wesley Foundation at University of Central Florida installed floor in two houses. The houses lacked a reliable safe water source and water is brought by hand from over 1/4 mile. AVS made plans to install a well as soon as the water well drill rig became available. .
Jugs are used to bring water to the houses
A Different Way to Spend Some Quality Time Together
Three long-time friends from the Orlando took a week of vacation together in early June to help Aqua Viva Serves (AVS) install the well. They were joined by three interns who will be with AVS from June to August.
The well be the first AVS well in the Cano Negro area. AVS knew that other wells in the zone were producing good quantities of water so hopes were high.
The team arrived mid-week and began working at installing the sump pits used to clean the water going into the well. Below are a few pictures taken during the well’s installation.
Digging sump pits is hard work
Everyone gets a chance to clean the sump pits
Omar is running the drill rig while Andrew is mucking out the sump pits.
Andrew and Melanie are getting water needed to run the drill rig.
Interns taking a break, enjoying the new concrete slab.
The team brought along some crafts for the children. They really enjoyed the creative activities
Working with the crafts.
Some happy faces after making some bracelets.
Kids and adults are happy with the crafts.
The 160-foot deep well has been cleaned, and it appears there is abundant water. In the near future, a submersible pump will be installed, along with an electrical hook-up, controls and a pressure tank. A water distribution network will deliver piped water to each house in the community.
Cleaning Chompipera well
Return to Medio Queso – the well makes an impact
Last year a work team installed a well in the community of Medio Queso. Medio Queso is on unused land that was abandoned by a large corporate farm. The community, which consists of immigrant day laborers, has limited resources, as evident in their homes that are typically made of scrap materials and plastic sheets. The people are in the process of applying for and being selected to receive land deeds through a lengthy government process. When I first visited the community, its water supply was an open, hand-dug, shallow well. AVS installed a new well, along with a water tower in 2014.
This past week I visited Medio Queso again and talked with one of the local leaders. He said the well has changed in the community. Initially a small group of families were hooked into the water system; now there are 14. More importantly, with an assured water supply, people are starting to raise some livestock, mainly chicken and pigs. This is a real improvement.
Chicken pen at Medio Queso
Some piglets at Medio Queso
The community has organized in order to maximize assistance offered by various agencies. They want to move ahead with receiving land titles; hook up to the electric grid, and set up a repair and replacement fund for the well’s pump.
The well AVS built has led to real change for the Medio Queso residents; it has brought them hope for a better, fuller lives. It was very gratifying to see the changes.
Bob with AVS in Costa Rica 