Engineering in the Peace

Corps

RPCV Jillian Churchill Honduras 2009-2011

About Me• BS Chemistry• MS Environmental

Engineering

• No Spanish• No Design Experience

• Water and Sanitation Engineer

• Honduras

Peace Corps Background

• Six to 12 months from application to arrival in country

• 11 weeks of trainingo Cultural/ Languageo Technical

• Live and work in one site for 2 years

Where I Lived

• El Paraiso• Town of

~25,000• On the border

with Nicaragua• 72 villages that

were served

Overview of Projects• Secondary Projects

o Coachingo Science Dayo Clubso English Classeso HIV/AIDS awarenesso Treatment of Animals

• Primary Projectso Potable water systemso Rainwater collectiono Improved Stoveso Trainingso Troubleshooting Systemso Latrineso Environmental Conservationo Sanitation Improvement

Potable Water Systems• Surveyed for 6

systemso Average of 50 householdo Get dropped off for unknown

amount of time

• Designed 5 systemso Used massive Excel

spreadsheet

• Troubleshooting for existing systemso Pressure problemso Water shortage problemso Additions to systems

Improved Sanitation• 100 Hours of Training

for each systemo One person from each

household must attend

• Building Latrineso Give each step at a time

• Building Improved Stoveso Improves Lung and Eye Healtho Uses 20% of firewoodo Becomes Women’s project

Water Board Training• Each community has

it’s own Water Board• In charge of:

o Setting/ Collecting Feeso Maintaining Systemo Community Sanitation

• Made of community members

• Normally Receive Little Training

• Book Developed by PCVs

Important Aspects of Community Training

• Cultural Differences• Education Level

Differences• Continuing Monitoring• Logistics

Other Training• Technical Training La

JAM• Basic Surveying• Design Principle

Basics• Trainees

• Everything they will need to know

Secondary Projects

TRIPS!!!!!!!

TRIPS !!!!

What’s Happening in Honduras

Agricultural/ Environmental Damage

Trash

2009 Coup

Drug/ Gang Violence

2012:Peace Corps pulls out of Honduras

Honduras named most dangerous country

Questions?