inauguración del agua potable

So it turns out in the town where I went to the cool inauguration of the water tank and water in each house, it was actually a project originally not planned. Or rather, the NGO they were working with was hired by the dirigente/dude I talk to about water to build a school in the town. Before having their own school, the kids had to walk really far, crossing fields, a river (which in the summer time is too high to cross and has no bridge) and highway to get to the closest school. So the NGO built the school, but had some left over bricks. Emilio, the dirigente, suggested building the tank. Before the tank, the houses had piping for water that another NGO years ago had donated, but didn't have a tank to hold the water that they pump up from some spring somewhere. So good thing Emilio is on top of the town's needs. I'm kind of worried that someday we're going to be "that NGO that tested all of our kids' diarrhea to prove we needed to clean up how we store water, gave us some new container and disinfecting tablets, and then left." I doubt that will happen. I would love to test all the kids' poop though and see where the whole contamination is coming from before we incorrectly diagnose the problem. Somehow I just have to make friends with the laboratory and some chemical engineer who can tell me about where we get the chemicals we need to treat the water...Anyway, this is all an introduction to these photos from the inauguration:




Included in these photos, there is a tree that they dug up and then replanted. Later in the evening they'll decorate it, and then try to knock it down. Then it's given to whoever knocks it down. I think. I maybe missed something. Also, you'll notice the cross, and the Mary and Jesus sitting on the foozball table. In between the cross and the foozball table is a dressed up spigot which after the nun blessed it, the president of the NGO blessed. Then other people, too. It was a really cool ceremony, and the nun complimented how impressed she is by the obvious strength and sense of community in the town. Afterwards the whole town was invited to eat. I'm really happily to finally have a town that I feel that people know me where I feel welcome. Also a town where I feel that Socios can help out.