How Many Cows

Water is running in San Antonio!

The new community water tower is complete!

Four years ago, the government provided plans and laid pipe alongside the dirt roads of the community so each household would be able to access the waterline. Unfortunately, the plans and piping were all the government had provided at the time. The community needed a water tower and tank in order to actually get water to each house.

Two years after the pipe was installed, the community saved enough money to buy materials and build the foundation for the tower.

Slowly, they were working towards their goal.

Last year, a donor gave San Antonio a 15,000L water tank!

Now, the only part left was the tower. The tower had to be high enough to provide the pressure to push the water to all the houses. A tower like that couldn’t be made out of concrete like the one we built in 2009. The last item on their list was the most daunting because it was something that the community couldn’t build on their own. A subcontractor would need to be hired, a tower fabricated and a crane rented to complete the water project.

The families in San Antonio work hard. The land is dry and difficult to farm. Their houses are an eclectic mix of whatever material they could afford or find (bamboo, cement, sheet metal, palms, wood, plastic, etc.). They govern their community with a board of elders and, slowly but surely, tackle projects to help make their community a better place.

I really enjoy being an advocate for communities like San Antonio. I am able to connect them and their stories to individuals in the States who would otherwise never know of this small, 250-person community. Last year, I wrote about San Antonio and their need for the water tower (and latrines) in the “Gift a Goat & MORE!” campaign. We reached our funding goal and part of those funds were used to hire a subcontractor, buy a tower and rent a crane for San Antonio to complete their water project.

This was a wonderful group effort! The community of San Antonio, Government of Guazacapan, Donors from the States, Local non-profits, Churches, Ministry of Operation Jabez and Hydromissions all working at different points, over 4 years, in order that today, San Antonio has access to water at each house!

***The latrines are progressing well. I just wanted to focus this post on the water tower, which is why I didn’t share latrine photos. Stay tuned! 🙂