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
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
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