Friends,

The past two weeks have been filled with visits to various partner communities in the Cusco region. We’ve made significant progress in assessment, implementation, and follow-up in multiple partner communities. I’ve broken up this Executive Director Update to focus on the different projects that are moving forward right now. Thanks for reading!

Ccorca District

In Totora, we’ve initiated the final phase of construction on our first aquaculture project. In collaboration with the Municipality of Ccorca, we’ve developed a plan to enable the community to produce trout year-round in the Andes Mountains. Leveraging Totora’s healthy supply of sub-ground water, the aquaculture system will provide the appropriate environment for growth of trout through their entire life cycle from an egg to full-grown. Once fully grown, the trout can be used for consumption, addressing anemia (iron-deficiency), one of the most prevalent health issues in the region. Excess trout can be sold to fund maintenance and further purchase of trout eggs, creating a self-sustaining process for years to come.

Mollepata District

Earlier this month, I connected with Sra. Alejandra Blanco, who is the owner of a lodge in the centro poblado of the Mollepata District. I explained to her the work of 33 Buckets and that we are exploring the possibility of launching implementations in Mollepata. She excitedly explained to me that she is the co-director of a local NGO that works with different groups in the district. One of these groups focuses on empowering women by providing the resources and opportunities to produce high-quality, hand-made textiles that are typical of the region. 

Just two years ago, 33 Buckets launched our annual Art-4-Agua Event that works with artists to showcase their work, engage our donor community, and ultimately support our projects in Peru. Sra. Alejandra and I discussed the possibility of meeting these women, checking out their artisan products, and potentially showcasing their work in our Art-4-Agua Event. This past week, we started this process. I met with over 10 women who traveled to Mollepata’s centro poblado to speak with me and show me their work. I am happy to report that their work will be showcased at our Art-4-Agua Event in December, with all proceeds supporting improvement of clean water in Mollepata!

I also continued with our preliminary assessment of the community of Auquiorcco within Mollepata. Using our Household Baseline Survey and support for our local partners, we interviewed multiple families regarding their perceptions, behaviors, and desires surrounding water, sanitation, and hygiene. The women we interviewed helped me better understand the challenges they’re currently facing and their priorities when it comes to addressing these problems. This process is also essential in building a personal relationship with the community as we explore the possibility of creating a more formal partnership for the future.

Community of Huilcapata

In 2016, 33 Buckets launched its first project in Peru in the community of Huilcapata. Working with our local partner at the time, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, and Huilcapata’s children’s school, we implemented a microfiltration system to ensure that only clean water is reaching the students every day. Since then, Huilcapata has grown by leaps and bounds, especially in the school which has won sustainability awards on a local, regional, and national level. Just last week, we returned to Huilcapata to host part 1 of our WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) program for the school children. We discussed many aspects of why water, sanitation, and hygiene is important and how to maintain access to clean water in the future. All 85 children received a bar of soap to take home along with the valuable knowledge they learned. As always, this experience proved to be extremely valuable for both the kids, teachers, parents, and the 33 Buckets Team. We look forward to part 2 of our WASH program in the coming weeks.

On the ground, and behind the scenes, we have much more going on than can fit in these updates. My goal is to provide digestible, regular updates that help you, as a 33 Buckets supporter, stay in the loop on our efforts. As always, I hope to engage directly with the 33 Buckets community. Feel free to reach me at daniel@33buckets.org with any questions or comments about our work. Have a great week.

Pura Agua, Pura Vida

Daniel Hoop

Executive Director