Thursday, April 14, 2011

I left my house at 7:30 and the men had already left for the hills. Almost a year since we planted our first PVC pipes and now, as the construction of our water system “take-two” is nearly complete, the work brigades begin the tedious job of unearthing the original pipeline.

Its really comparable to digging potatoes, let’s say, sweet potatoes because we’re living in Las Batatas which means “the sweet potatoes” in Spanish. You plant batatas, they grow, and then you dig them up and use them. No good campesino would leave a crop of batata to rot in the ground, especially if the crop values some 50,000 pesos, about the equivalent of 1,350 US dollars.

With this perspective, asking my community to pull up 120 PVC pipes that were buried in the ground last year, knowing that we will use them to complete the pipeline in the new system seems like campo logic. There aren’t enough funds remaining in the project bank to buy a complete set of pipes for the new system, but what we lack in money, we make up for in big guns, aka strong able-bodied men.

To rewind…in August, a property owner along the proposed pipeline of the Las Batatas water system refused to sign permission for the water project to build within his private cow pasture. The man was unrelenting in his position and the community was left in disbelief. I mean really, how can anyone deny an entire community the right to tap water? My Program Director announced that he would come to the village to help assess the status of the project. The community had potentially lost their chance to build a water system. If property owners along the pipeline won’t give permission, if the water from the spring can’t be re-directed along an alternative route , if there isn’t another water source, well, then Peace Corps pulls out.

Thankfully, I had taken the time in the initial community diagnostic to visit various springs besides the one that we chose for the original design. I suspected that one of these springs would work, and so I presented the plan to the community leaders that we measure the spring’s potency and survey a potential pipeline route. People reluctantly joined me in surveying a new system, all the while hoping that something would magically change and that we would continue with the first project.

The new spring and the new design, were incredibly promising. I presented the plan to the community in October and explained that we would need permission from all the landowners, in writing, before starting. The pipes purchased for the other project, functioned for the alternative system, meaning that work could begin immediately and also making that the new system economically feasible. I ordered that work start at the spring catchment tank and follow down the conduction line to the community. Everyday of work, the people could let the water run through the pipes, visually affirming their progress in bringing piped water to the families of Las Batatas.

On December 6th, I purchased the materials for the spring catchment box and work began on the 7th for the two day tank construction.

And from there, the project took off. We worked January through til March, spent a week on the storage tank and then started down the hill toward the community where we are now in the process of connecting each house to the main distribution line.

The catch. We still have 120 PVC pipes buried discreetly in private cow pastures above the community. The remains of an ill-fated first attempt. Now that we are nearing the end of the construction, there is a shortage of pipes and the only way to move forward is to go back and undo our handy work.

I really doubted that the day of digging up pipes would ever come. People swore to me that they would never do the same work twice. I expected I’d have to make mock departure, pack my bags and threaten to leave for good, before they’d grab a pick-axe and recover the pipes.

But today I was impressed. A brigade showed up early and with five men, a boy, and myself at the rear, we pulled out 26 pipes intact. The men were positive, the work came naturally. And while the work is far from over, I am beginning to reevaluate the capacity of the people of Las Batatas. These ragtag bands that can’t come to work on time (if at all), that gossip and tire easily, leaving the job site early. Their endless complaining. Their irresponsibility and the imperfection of the work.

Today, the brigade captain led the charge and was unbreakable. He pushed the men to dig up more pipes, knowing that he was the first to brave the job and would thus set the precedent. The men were in good spirits and didn’t complain. As a team we were encouraged by our progress and ready to take on the tough work ahead.

It was a good day. When work wrapped up, I rolled down the hill to the Doña’s house, gulped cold water and supped a cafecita, basking in success. I then recruited a crew of girls and boys and we took off to the creekbed where we threw ourselves from one cold natural tub to the next, tumbling down the canyon waterfalls to the river below.