Solar Water Pumps

Solar tracker ready to install

Climbing up to install the panel

Pump is is ready

And, we have water pressure !!

Well, it’s been a beautiful week in San Luis de Tolosa de Canete, my home town – full and rich and rewarding.

It started with a long Monday night, but we got all the wheelchairs delivered. What a mixture of joy and sadness. Handicapped and poverty is not a happy combination. Some of these folks hadn't been out of the house in a long time. The joy part was knowing that now, they can go to the park or Plaza - feel the sun and wind blowing. Gave me a renewed appreciation for my semi-intact body and made me tear up more than once. The Mayor, of course, made a speech at each stop. And many photos taken of these poor folks for papers, etc. Crowds of neighbors formed at each stop of the Muni truck. It was a pretty big deal. Especially for the folks that got nice new chairs. I was touched by the elderly woman, who kept saying, “I want to go to the Plaza” over and over – at 11pm. The paper and radio carried stories the next day. It’s always a big deal when people get much needed help. Especially so in this case. Grateful to the Princeton Class of 1977 and Wheelchair Foundation for making this possible.

The next day, I was out at the Farm bright and early to construct the new solar pump system. Once again, my trusty bike did great service, carrying me, a 30lb pack and 4 x 5M lengths of PVC tube, strapped to the frame. A little hairy crossing the Pan Am with 5 ft sticking out front and back, but OK once on the back roads. Odie, of course, was first to greet me. I enjoy my special connection with this doggie friend.

We built the raised platform for the 60W panel way up high to keep it out of the dust and got the panel oriented to north, thanks to a new compass from sister Darcy. Got the wiring done to the Phocos charge controller and then to the ShurFlo pump. Plumbed the ½” PVC tube to the pump intake and hose to outflow. Hit the switch and YEEEE HAW, we got water pressure !

Started to fill the freshly cleaned tank with water. We used part of an old cable spool as the well cover, which will keep it cleaner. Still some small details to work out, but the basic system is done.

Nothing that could go wrong did. The job was right by the book, as planned. I am so glad I brought battery drill, multi-meter, wire strippers, etc . They totally made this job fly. A PVC pipe cutter, courtesy of Joy Massa, made the PCV cuts easy and perfect – it never fails to impress the locals. And all the while, Avelino was having fun playing with my camera. Every single photo had to be edited to vertical. He made up for it by supplying me with goat cheese bits and yogurt. All enjoyed within earshot and view of the Pacific Ocean. Not a bad gig. Not bad at all.

The nation-wide Teachers’ Strike here has thrown a proverbial Monkey Wrench into our HIV/STD/teen pregnancy prevention program. All materials ready for first session, which was supposed to be this week. It also means tons of kids hanging out all over town. No telling how long this will go on. Sadly, this is the last year that PEPFAR (HIV) funds will be available for education. How the US can cut funding for Aids prevention and Peace Corps and keep on killing innocents in the Middle East, just flat-out baffles me.

I’m also starting in with another group of 16 yr olds in the PC World Wise Schools program. Beth Ramey, a teacher near Golden, CO and her classes, will be exchanging notes and questions with my group here. Should be fun for everyone. But, it too is on hold until the teachers go back to work.

I like the little “pancito” bread here. Kind of like rolls, but crispy crust and soft inside. I usually get them in the morning, still warm from the bakery. No preservatives or shipping required. It’s about all Peruvians eat for breakfast, usually with some cheese or blood sausage or avocado or jam. Only thing that worries me is that I’ve noticed that none of the dogs will eat them, including my pal Odie. What do they know that I don’t?

Angel and I found a great site for the #2 solar pump system. It’s a 2 family compound out in the Las Palmas annex, between Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, near the beach. I’m not sure why it’s called Palmas – there is exactly one tall palm in the whole area. The families have a nice little spring for a water source. Sadly the spring is filthy with debris and animal manure – cows come up and drink from it.

So, we’ll build a “well-head” made of beach rock to protect the source, cover it with another cable spool wheel and pump water up to the 2 houses. 2x 55gal elevated drums will store the water and give them clean(er) running water. If their water use is low enough, they’ll also have power for lights and charging cell phones.

And there’s another strange priority – cell phone, but no electricity, running water or septic. They take phone or battery into town or to a neighbor’s to charge. Kinda like my house, where we have 2 flat screen TV’s and cable, but no fridge, oven or floor in the shower room. Just hard to figure sometimes.

One of the families that got a wheel chair came by the house last night. That’s one of the things about being the only Gringo in town – everyone knows where I live. I was so touched by the smile on the woman’s face. Selva is her name. They brought her over all the construction, in the dark (though just about dinner time for most here), just to say Thank You and gift me some bananas. And she cried. And I cried. I really got the enormity of what having a chair means to her and her family. The opportunity to touch lives like that is one I’ll always be grateful for.

The monthly lunch gathering of Canete area PCVs was a little bittersweet this time, as I realized that Dan & Carrie and Gabe will all be finishing their service in the next couple of months. This week also marks the arrival of the next group of WATSAN PCVs, and one year since I landed in Peru. It seems like yesterday and it seems like years ago. As you can tell from the number 49 on this blog, I’ve missed a couple, but have still probably set some sort of record for number of pages written. It has been my joy to record and share my adventure, thus far. Hope y’all have enjoyed the ride.