Executive Director Update - Cuzco, Peru

Friends,

This week, I bring you exciting updates regarding our progress in the Ccorca District (Cusco Province) as well as our first formal steps towards a new partnership with the Mollepata District (Anta Province).

In the Ccorca District, we re-launched our WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) initiatives starting in the primary school of Totora. After over 2 years of in-person school closures, the students were extremely excited to learn about the importance of water and hand washing, how water gets contaminated and treated, and much more. Our Team is equally excited to be able to bring this part of our work back to life! In Part 1 of our WASH program in Totora, we used graphics and question/answer to teach the school children all about water processes, how it affects them, and how they can create a healthy lifestyle. We explained water treatment processes like filtration and disinfection, providing examples of each. Seeing the smiling faces of so many kids at once was equally refreshing and inspiring. In Part 2, the kids will be creating their own basic filtration system to understand how it works on a fundamental level. We’ll be engaging in activities to show how germs spread and, of course, reinforcing best practices for handwashing. We’ll end the session by providing each participating student with a “Experto de Agua” certificate to commemorate their experience. This part of 33 Buckets’ work truly contributes to fostering a culture that values water, especially in future generations.

Just two days later, we traveled to the Mollepata District in the Anta Province of Peru. In 2021, I traveled to Mollepata with a local colleague to speak with the JASS (water management teams) and perform basic water quality testing in multiple communities. This year, we connected with the Mayor and other leaders of the District to discuss a potential collaboration with 33 Buckets to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. On Day 1, we met with Cirilo, the Director of the Área Técnica Municipal (ATM). The ATM is the Districts’ team of individuals who support local JASS groups and aim to improve the quality of water and sanitation services. Supported by 33 Buckets’ student interns (Mara, Risa, Erin, & Adam!) and our two volunteers (Brandon & Anna!), we had an extensive conversation with Cirilo about the state of water and sanitation in Mollepata. He provided valuable information about their existing chlorine disinfection systems, perspectives on WASH, and much more. We concluded the conversation with plans for a meeting with the Mayor and other municipal officials two days later. In this conversation, we listened to the perspectives of the district leaders and confirmed the primary challenges as described by Cirilo. In July, we’ll perform our first formal assessment in Mollepata. Check back here on our website to watch this partnership grow!

Pura Agua, Pura Vida