Solar Power-Oiga esso!

Yesterday I took 5 men from my site, who are in the running to be the plumbers when I leave and be in charge of taking care of the whole aqueduct, to Santiago where I purchased our solar pump.  It was really cool.  We set up some solar panels outside the shop, connected up the pump and the controller, and showed these campesinos how renewable energy works!  We pumped water from one bucket of water to another using no batteries at all!  Oiga!  It was cool, my guys seemed to be pretty comfortable with the idea of working with this pump, and I felt great to finally have the meeting of the solar pump and the people it will benefit-my community members.  Seeing, feeling, and touching such a vital part of the aqueduct was a great feeling.  And the owner of the shop was great, offering all the support my community could need as long as they are in business.  Its all coming together!

We are still working!

So I am short on time again for the post, but we are still working!  We actually are within 2-3 days of finishing all of the aqueduct piping, we are putting the final coats of paint on the community center, we are gettin prepared to install the solar water pump, and the solar panels for the lightbulb project are purchased and on their way!  I am also getting ready to start making the 45 tapstands that will become property of each member of the water project. Things are cranking along...Check out the pictures.  The top pic is of Chelo, a local kid with some mental difficulties, just ecstatic to see all of the faucets lined up and ready to go!(actually I think he was just ecstatic to have his picture taken, but either way its priceless)  Even in the most frustrating of communities, there are always a couple really good reasons to keep on working!