Water

Our very generous friends gave us a Kindle, which is an
e-reader that allows us to bring 1500 books of all types and sizes without $1000
in baggage fees to Sub-Saharan Africa.   I’m selling off my wardrobe piece by piece, find
myself trying on practical/ugly shoes, and comparing the prices of camping
shirts.  I am continually trying to
predict what I will find essential once my life and home are established at the
Cornerstone compound in Nimule, Sudan.
What will sustain us, maintain our well being and keep us sane if not
comfortable?  Then I think about water.  There is a cell phone tower within a couple
hundred feet of our new home, we will have fairly consistent web access and yet
we will not be able to drink water without first collecting and treating it.


I’m sure you have heard of the challenges many parts of the
world face when it comes to water and South Sudan is no different, never having
much infrastructure even before 20 years of war.  So what is the best solution? I don’t want to
spend a large part of my day collecting water, caring for kids (or a husband)
whose illnesses could have been prevented,
or get sick myself and neither do the women I will work with developing
and implementing their small business plans.
We need a low cost easy to use water treatment system preferably that
doesn’t use harsh chemicals and has some income generating possibility.


So the research begins….


Our incredible, generous and kind new accountant, Richard
Palick, recommended some like minded folks in Greely who might have a
solution.  Cup of Hope International is
run by Mike and Barb Webb.  After many
trips, mostly to Cambodia, helping to install BioSand Water filters, they spend
their time while in the US training other organizations and individuals on the benefits
of the BioSand filter and how to build one.
So I went up to Greeley last weekend to get my hands dirty.

I'm impressed with the potential of the BioSand Water filter in rural and developing communities especially the potential it has to create jobs and income in the hands of the right local entrepreneurs.  I was also impressed with the people with whom I attended the workshop, such as the Indian couple graduating from CSU with their MBAs in Social Entrepreneurship.  Inspiration and information all in one Saturday.  



We are trying to connect with these kinds of organizations and technology before we leave, do you know someone we should talk to?  Send me an email: spene.trudeau@gmail.com