We are pleased to share a second update on the Community Water and Sanitation Project in Bilampi, Nicaragua.
This Global Grant with funding from Rotary District 5870, Rotary International, and Rotary Clubs including West Austin, Bastrop, Georgetown Sun City, Cosmopolitan, the E-Club and Sheridan is a partnership with the Rotary Club of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Austin-based Project Schoolhouse serves as the overall project manager with financial oversight provided by the Matagalpa Club. December 2021 Project Update: The Bilampi water project was started in the early spring of 2021. We are thrilled to report continued high community volunteer engagement in the building of this project. As of early December of 2021, the water project is 70% complete. The fresh-water spring has been captured and the tank has been built. The distribution system which requires hand-digging miles of trench to lay the PVC pipe is 70% complete, with 6.5 km of pipe left to install. It will take two months to complete at this pace, 100-150 meters of trench to dig per day. We are estimating the water portion to be completed by early February and latrines to be finished in each home of community members by mid-March of 2022. As we previously reported, the impact this project will have on the community will be life-changing. During the design phase, Project Schoolhouse water engineer, Rosalio, reported the Bilampi community as having one of the worst water situations that he has seen. We are thrilled with the progress its been making and are excited for this community to gain access to water in their homes. In our last update we described the challenge as follows: In the preliminary community assessment, the largest problem identified by the community is having to haul water every day, a task that primarily falls to women and young girls. Community members reported having to carry water from open sources such as rivers or creeks, water that is shared with wildlife and livestock. Another issue identified was that in the summer dry seasons most recently the rivers and streams are completely empty and they have to walk further to find alternative sources of water. All water needed for the household and schools have to be carried from distant sources. Community members reported that most did not have latrines at their homes. Funding from the Rotary Global Grant will provide clean, safe water and latrines to 41 households, 3 schools, and a church in the community of Bilampi, Nicaragua by March 2022. We are grateful for the sponsorship of the Rotary Clubs of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and of West Austin, Texas in making this water and sanitation project a reality.