In A Pickle

Working the PVC magic 

As an outsider, not knowing all the local history and politics, I sometimes get caught in the middle of some feud or quarrel. To use the baseball vernacular “In a pickle”. Today was one of those days.

Jacquelin happy to have water

A couple of weeks ago, when the Brigades volunteers and I were finishing some Bano units in Ipeti, I noticed that one was not hooked up to the water. Jacquelin and her brother Roberto explained that they didn’t know how to work with PVC, so I volunteered to install their water line. Today, I did just that. It only took a few minutes and the ½” line was connected to the Bano shower and wash basin. And I ran an extra line to their house with a spigot on the end. Then, I went into the village to arrange a connection to the village water system and that’s when the trouble began.

I found Elsa, treasurer of the Water Committee and a good friend, at her tienda (store) and told her about a new needed connection. Just fine, until I told her where it was. No, it’s not possible, she said and stormed off. Her husband Juaquin saw my shock and pulled me aside. It seems the family I had helped was “a bad family”. The father was a drunk and got into fights with many folks in the village. He was hit by a truck on the PanAm a few years back, leaving Jacquelin and her brother alone. Jacquelin then got pregnant and had her baby out of wedlock. And Roberto is gay.

I pleaded with Juaquin that no matter what people thought about their personal lives, they lived in the community and had a right to a water connection – not to mention the fact that I had just bought, transported and installed all that ½” PVC and Brigades built a nice new Bano unit.. He then had a rather heated discussion with Elsa, who finally relented, but said they had to pay the connection fee and 1^st month water first. She glared at me as I shelled out the $7 to cover it and wrote a Permiso. Marco, the water system tech was working on the chlorine drip system at the water tanks and I got him to come and make the connection, before Elsa changed her mind.

I later got more of the background from my friend Don Pablo. The father, also Roberto, was indeed a nasty fellow. He molested (raped?) several girls and beat up several men. But, the real reason for Elsa’s reaction (which Joaquin failed to mention) was that Roberto sent her brother to hospital in Chepo  with many injuries. He lost feeling in his hand permanently. The folks in Ipeti went to the Police many times, but he was a former Captain in the National Police and nothing ever happened. He also beat his wife and the kids. All the more reason his children should not have to pay for his despicable behavior.

Sporting my headband

As for Jacquelin, she was ecstatic to have water at the Bano and by the house. She had been walking to the river for their water every day, with her little girl. She gave me a bright Embera headband that she made and then hugged me and cried on my shoulder. I can only imagine her shame of being rejected by the village and her relief that someone finally came to help. I asked her to please go to Elsa and thank her for the water connection.

In my heart and gut, I still feel like I did the right thing. I hated to have a confrontation with Elsa, who is (or was) a good friend and community leader. But getting the family a good water supply seemed a worthy quest. That’s what I’m here for – to improve peoples’ lives. Maybe my support of the family will help heal the rift. Maybe not. I just hope I’m still welcome at the next Water Committee meeting.

Who put a valve on the drain field line?

My second community service in Ipeti today was much easier and less emotional than Jacquelin’s water line. As I was leaving the village a man approached me and said the septic tank for his new house was not working. Sure enough, the tank was overflowing. But the solution was simple. For some unknown reason, the contractor had installed a valve in the tank overflow line. I just opened it and everything was fine. Nice to work the magic in 15 seconds or less.

 

Nice chicken coop

The day's tomato harvest

The tilapia pond

I chanced upon a Global Brigades agricultural group at the Finka, did my Sanitation talk and then viewed the projects there : Raising chickens and tilapia fish, tomatoes, cabbage and peppers with drip irrigation.

Talking with two older Kuna men at the bus stop. The Ipeti River is at its lowest level in many years, they say. The long boats can barely get out to Lake Bayano. They have to pole much of the way and cant use their outboard motors. But, they also say the fishing for the big Tilapia is the best ever. Compare this recent photo to last year at this time.