Last Projects

Getting there is half the fun - waist deep in the Big Muddy

One last big project before I leave : reconnect the Piriati sand filters. Color it DONE !!

The sand filters clean all the sediment from dirty water by trapping it in the facets of a special “volcanic sand” (which is really crushed lava). And out flows nice clean water, though it still may have bacteria, etc. The catch is that, just like your pool filter, you have to frickin clean it every once in a while. This is done by simply reversing the water flow and letting the dirt flow away. In Piriati, no one had backflushed for over a year and the filters became totally clogged. Nobody knew how to do the back-flush, so they just cut the filters out of the system and let $5000 worth of equipment waste away. And every year, when the rains came, the water got dirty / cloudy and folks had to let it sit in buckets for a day or more to let the dirt settle out.

the cows leave a unique pattern in the mud

The new Water Committee called Bullshit and asked me how to get the filters back on line. Today we did just that. We had a team of 8 workers, who schlepped materials and tools over the 4 Km trail of mud and river crossings (we don’t need no stinking bridges) up to the tanks. We were joined by a lovely Aussie hydrologist who is hoping to introduce wells into the area, but I digress.

the art of bending PVC pipe over an open fire

It was, quite frankly, a nasty fight with the magical Panama mud and water. We dug out the old tubes, made the needed plumbing changes and cleaned the worst of the dirt out of the filters. This included a couple of “campo” tube bends, using burning palm fronds to soften the pipe for bending. Pipe connections tested and held the pressure well. We’ll let the filters back-flush for at least a day or so. The boys will return tomorrow to agitate the sand and get even more dirt out. But, the system is a GO !! Piriati can return to nice clean water. As we were wrapping up, the dark rains clouds were gathering and the thunder started rolling off the surrounding hills.

Two last connections and we're done

By the time we got back to town, we were soaked to the bone, as much from rain as from the river crossings. And still, as I bid my companeros adios, I found a big grin across my face, feeling the satisfaction of a team effort well completed that will be a nice change for the 700 residents of Piriati tomorrow afternoon. Pouring rain or bright sunshine – I LOVE my “job”.

The bucket brigade

And one last fling with the Global Brigades volunteers before I go. This group was from Western Kentucky, yet none of them had ever used an outhouse – stereotype destroyed. We put the final touches on the first 6 Bano units in Curti and gave each family “hands on” training. I was pleased to find that many of the

Opening ceremony with a happy family

families had paid attention at our first meeting and knew the drill. Some had already been using their composting toilets (correctly) for over a week. Anyway, we had a little “Opening Ceremony” at each unit, so the kids liked that.

Ulpiano, Cecilio & me - love these guys

It was also my last time with all my dear professional friends from Global Brigades. It has been my honor and joy to work with these wonderful and supportive men for the last year. They have never let me down and we have had some good times together. Saying Good-Bye to these beautiful guys was hard and heartfelt.

But when you live the migrant life, saying good bye is part of the package. I’ve learned to just allow the moment and emotion of gratitude for friendships to well up and be honored., but not dwell on the “what might have been” and cherish the “what was”. And I know that behind every good-bye is a “Hello” just waiting to happen.