Project Launch: 6-18-18

Deep in the Amazon of Ecuador, the indigenous Kichwa community of Selva Amazonica (Amazonian Jungle in English) finds itself increasingly affected by water-borne illnesses as the river supplying their water becomes more and more contaminated by human and animal waste. The leaders of Selva Amazonica have a vision to eventually have piped water distributed to the entire community. Access to potable water will have a particularly positive impact on women and children as they are primary water users in the home.

MedWater, an NGO with a local bureau, has determined the community can realize this goal through a safe water system which will include a motorized pump that will move water from a local river up 300 meters to the top of a hill to a central community storage tank. A secondary tank will be located at the community center approximately 75 meters down from the main storage tank, used for treating water with a chlorine generator. Community members will then be able to collect safe water and carry it back to their homes in safe water vessels.  

Project Update: 10-8-18

The community of Selva Amazonica is strongly motivated to achieve their goal of acquiring safe water. With the provision of funding, and materials, community members quickly moved into gear, digging trenches for pipes, hauling sand and stones to create platforms for water tanks, and laying pipes across the jungle. Community meetings have established a water council to manage the system. A pump has been identified to achieve the needs of the project and will be purchased and transported out to the community. It is anticipated that the system will be fully operational by the end of October 2018.