Water Project for Andean Villages in Bolivia

We are proud to announce that the community of Janko Marca Sirpa finished their water project. It was inaugurated together with the participation of our technicians, representatives from the Bolivian Board of Directors and local Municipal and Provincial officials. The inauguration included an official accounting of the different resources provided to carry out the project, speeches of encouragement and appreciation, dancing and a festive meal.

All of the infrastructure was completed as planned, with the addition of water meters purchased with municipal and community funds. QBL worked with the local health post to provide training to school children and local families in hygiene and the appropriate storage and handling of water in order to prevent illnesses. The school director hopes to carry out a hygiene campaign in the near future. We also trained the families in appropriate ways to keep their community clean. Each child in the community received their own hygiene kit with toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap and a small towel.

We want to make sure that our projects are sustainable in the long term. Together with QBL, the community developed statutes that cover responsibilities for maintaining the water system. These statutes define how much each family will contribute to cover the costs of any future maintenance needs. The statutes also define the responsibility of the water committee that is responsible for repairing any problems that might arise.

With the project finished, we will return several times over the next two years to visit the community. This will ensure that the community is benefiting fully from their hard work and the financial investments provided for this project, and also that your donations make a lasting impact in the lives of of the people we serve.