Platinum Sponsors

Ecuador: Malingua Pamba

Malingua Pamba is a mountain community in the Ecuadorean Andes at 10,000 feet in elevation. The village had a potable and irrigation system that was put in from other organizations sometime ago and the systems were either falling apart or incomplete. Our goal is to better the living conditions in Malingua Pamba through drinkable water, irrigation fro crops and erosion control. More information about the community can be found at www.escuelaminga.org

The Ecuador Maligua Pamba Program has two main project branches. The first project focused on designing and implementing a potable water system in the community, and the second focuses on improving the irrigation water supply and implementing erosion control measures.

Ecuador Potable Water Project

Community Need

All humans need potable water to live. Prior to EWB engagement, the Malingua Pamba community had a rudimentary potable water distribution infrastructure in place. Problems such as pressure irregularities, line breaks, and sedimentation plagued the system. Since EWB involvement, the system has improved substantially. We have been successful in providing water to 85% of the community; however much work still needs to be done to make sure that the progress will be sustainable. This is undoubtedly the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of any development project.

Project Team Goals

The primary goal of EWB has always been to provide 100% of the community with access to safe and reliable drinking water. We have made significant strides in this area, but there are still a few outlying areas that still have inconsistent water availability. We are steadfastly closing in on our goal. To increase the reliability of the system, we have strategically placed pressure break tanks, which effectively reduce the pressure that builds up along lines with large elevation gradients.

Another main goal of the project is to make sure that our progress is sustainable in the long term. We need to ensure that the community is able to maintain the system that EWB has put in place as well as to improve and expand the system as needed. Education is a key component to achieving this goal, and EWB has maintained a commitment towards education and training from the beginning. This includes the training of “maestros,” or plumbers, who are skilled in troubleshooting and fixing maintenance problems. The community is so adept at tank construction and pipe laying that EWB supervision is no longer necessary. The next step in their education will be further training on how to properly locate new pressure break tanks and design new systems. The final step will be handing over the system to the Potable Water Leadership Board, a group of community members who we are working with to ensure a smooth transition.

Milestones

• November 2009 – Stabilized the system with 2 pressure break tanks; extended the system to outlying areas; performed Water Quality Testing; and held meetings with the Potable Water Leadership Board
• April 2009 – Developed the Potable Water Leadership Board; continued mapping and assessment; completed a pressure audit; and performed further training of maestros
• November 2008 – Implemented improvements to the potable water systems, while continuing mapping, assessment and educational activities and construction oversight of an additional pressure break tank
• April 2008 – Implemented improvements to the potable water systems, while continuing mapping, assessment and educational activities
• October 2007 – Implemented improvements to the potable water systems, while continuing mapping, assessment and educational activities
• April 2007 – Detailed mapping of water system elements; data collection to assess watershed yield and dry season agricultural potential; and, education in practical aspects of system repair and build-out, while repairing and replacing segments of the potable water system
• November 2006 – Gathered information on the existing water systems, tested water sources for water quality parameters, and collected information on community health, community water rights and community interest in water supply improvements

How to Help

How a Donation of $100 Can Help

• 800 feet of piping
• One quarter of the cost of a pressure break tank
• 5 days of professional in-country translation
• 4 days of lodging and food for a 2-person travel team

Volunteer Skills Needed

• Fundraising
• Spanish speakers
• Water Quality Expertise
• Structural Engineering Expertise
• Horticultural Expertise
• Web Development Expertise
• Micro Finance Expertise
• Willingness to Travel Internationally
• Experience in Developing Countries
• Good Logistical or Organizational Skills
• Desire to Gain Leadership Experience

Anyone with a desire to help is always welcome to join our project. These are some skills that we are lacking at the moment.

Additional Project Information

For more detailed information regarding this project please visit our wiki.

Ecuador Irrigation Project

Community Need

The community of Malingua Pamba is a primarily agriculturally based society. The primary food source for most of the community is the crops that they cultivate. The lower elevations of Malingua Pamba receive significantly less rainfall than the higher elevations. This inadequate irrigation supply has significant effects on the harvest of the crops. This low crop yield affects the whole community.

Project Team Goals

The main focus on all EWB projects is to improve the quality of life and to set in place a system or actions that will be sustainable by the community. To accomplish these goals the team works on two parts the passing of knowledge/skills to the people and the other part is the funding of materials. The team’s partnership with the community is the only way we could accomplish our main goal of improving access to irrigation water for all parts of the community. By doing this we hope to provide adequate food supply to the whole community.

The job is not completed by getting the water to the community. Education on the difference between the drinkable water and irrigation water is still needed. The evaluation of erosion and plant life in the fields will be studied. Set up the knowledge base and the financial base to create a sustainable system.

The secondary goal of the project is for the community to have enough food to sell. This would help out the sustainability of the project and this would mean that the yield provided adequate amount for the community. The other secondary goal that we see is the villagers being able to market the trade of making and providing water systems to neighboring villages.

Milestones

• Update Hydraulic Modeling
• Sustainability Analysis
• Implement Water Quality Education Program
• Implement Water Usage Education Program
• Complete and Summarize Construction Standards
• Develop standards for Measuring Success
• Complete Construction of Water Storage Tanks to Upper Areas
• Complete Pipeline Construction
• Complete Construction of Distribution Tanks

How to Help

How a Donation of $100 Can Help

• Connection of One Field to Irrigation System

Volunteer Skills Needed

• Fundraising
• Spanish speakers
• Hydraulic Modeling Expertise
• Water Quality Expertise
• Structural Engineering Expertise
• Web Development Expertise
• Micro Finance Expertise
• Willingness to Travel Internationally
• Experience in Developing Countries
• Good Logistical or Organizational Skills
• Desire to Gain Leadership Experience

Anyone with a desire to help is always welcome to join our project. These are some skills that we are lacking at the moment.

Additional Project Information

For more detailed information regarding this project please visit our wiki.