Update Report- Evaluation of Water System June 2, 2013

To date, the water system in Montegrande is functioning at 100%. All 42 families continue to drink safe water from their household faucets. No family has resorted to prior methods of retrieving water and no faucet is currently broken or not functioning.
1. Project Sustainability:
Project staff have made two visits to the community after completion of the project. Additional visits have been postponed or canceled due to heavy rains that prevent staff from being able to make the six hour commute from the city of Montero to the village of Montegrande. The dirt road leading to the village is completely impassable during the rainy season. During times when staff cannot travel to the village, Etta Projects has met with members of the water committee in the city of Montero and in the town of San Pedro to review water documentation and to dialogue with committee members regarding the water system.
During one recent meeting with the water committee, the Treasurer, Sr. Sixto Arnez, showed evidence that since the implementation of the water system the number of families that have paid their water bill on time has risen from an average of 67% (from October to December of 2012) to 84% (from January of April of 2013). Since January, on average only 16% of the families has not paid their monthly water bill on time. Sr. Delfin Hurtado, the Plumber of the local water committee, added that to date he has never had to suspend a household’s water due to failure of payment. According to the community’s water policies, if a family is unable to make payments for three consecutive months, the water committee is obligated to shut off their water supply until a family has made payment in full. Sr. Delfin states, “I understand that if a family doesn’t pay their water bill that I have to cut off their water. But in all the months we have had water, I have never had to do it. Sometimes a family isn’t able to pay at the end of the month, but they always pay the next month. Because of that, I have never had to turn off anyone’s water.” This testimony reflects both the families’ and the local water committee’s understanding of the rules and responsibilities that govern the new water system.

The charts shows that families in Montegrande overall are committed to investing in the sustainability of the water system. Some challenges occurred in the initial months of the project, particularly due to a combination of introducing a new system to the small village as well as heavy rains that impacted people’s ability to work. The reality is that heavy downpours greatly affect many families’ income in rural areas where people make a living working on the sugarcane fields. Despite the fact that certain months have been especially financially difficult for most of these families, it is clear that they are committed to making payments for their water usage. It is also obvious that the water committee members are fulfilling their role of administering the system and are monitoring water usage and payments.
In addition, the administrative logs show that families are using water for multiple purposes and that the water supply is meeting their demand. While on average 36 families (or 86%) pay the basic monthly tariff of 15 Bolivianos ($2.19 USD), other families exceed the minimum amount. The most any family has had to pay was 77 Bolivianos ($11.24 USD). During routine house visits, 100% of the families agreed that the water supply meets all of their water needs at all times of the day. Not a single family shared that they experienced a time when the water supply did not meet their water needs.
In addition to the effective implementation of the tariff system, the water committee is also holding regular monthly meetings. Each month the committee holds a meeting to discuss: management of the water system, state of the water faucets and water system, water usage and meters, and monthly expenses. The President of the water committee, Sr. Marcelino Solis, explained that he is responsible for sharing the advancements, challenges and finances with all community members at the monthly community assemblies.
2. Project Challenges
During interviews with the participating families, the only problem mentioned was a poor odor of the water coming from the school faucet. The families who mentioned the odor agreed that it only existed after school resumed from a 3-month break in February. The faucet had not been used during the school vacation, and the teacher stated, “Delfin (the Plumber) said I should let the water run for a while, so I let the water run for about 15 minutes and the odor completely disappeared. We have not had any odor in our water since then.” Etta Projects’ staff inquired about the poor odor to members of PROSASU JICA, who claimed that this is a common problem in that specific region; which they attribute to elevated levels of fluoride in the water.
Since the implementation of the water system in October of 2012, the community has experienced two short system failures. Both occasions were due to electrical problems during heavy rain storms. The first episode took place in the month of October. The system was fixed within a day and a half after the community called the local municipality, who repaired the system by replacing a coil. The second episode took place in December when the entire village and surrounding area lost power in a thunderstorm and consequently burned the water pump from electrical damage. The community immediately communicated with the municipality and the supplier of the water pump San Rafael, and the water pump piece was replaced within two days.
As an institution, Etta Projects decided to seek sustainable solutions that would further prevent any further electrical damage of the system, particularly during heavy rains. Etta Projects met with various institutions including Electrogis (an electrical company that focuses primarily in rural areas), San Rafael (the supplier of the water pump) and the Municipality of San Pedro. Together we tested different alternatives to best protect the water system. With support from Sr. Eduardo Justiniano, Manager of Electrogis, we decided to install capacitors that would better protect the automatic pump. Etta Projects made an investment of approximately $250.00 to increase the protection of the water system. A technician from Electrogis installed the new equipment and also provided additional training to members of the water committee regarding the precautions the community should take during heavy thunderstorms. He explained how to best diagnose challenges and how to implement their related solutions. Since the installation of the new equipment, to date there has been no new incidents or water systems failures, even during intense storms.
3. Project Satisfaction

Overall the community has a high level of satisfaction of the system. During our most recent visit to the community, project staff interviewed 15 families. Of those, 93.33% said that they are extremely satisfied with the system and prefer their system over an elevated tank. The most common reason for liking the system was due to “excellent water pressure” and that the system was “automatic and did not require very much work.” Many families mentioned that the water pressure was better in their community than in nearby villages that had water tanks. Only 6.67% of the families interviewed stated they would prefer an elevated tank.

Final Report

A. Project Accomplishments:
All grant outcomes specified in the proposal were accomplished within budget and during the grant period. Heavy rainfall in the beginning months postponed the work in the field; we used this time instead to prepare materials and negotiate with project partners. Throughout the rest of the grant cycle Etta Projects made visits to the beneficiary community, trained the water committee, and managed hygiene awareness campaigns.
Major project accomplishments include:
a. Formation & Training of Water Committee
The democratically elected 6-member local water committee gained skills to maintain and operate the water system, collect monthly tariffs and report on water-related issues. Their training began by spending 3 days in the city of Cochabamba learning: Administration of the water system, Role of a Water Committee, Water Users &+ Water Consumption, Calculating water tariffs, and Hygiene and health. Committee members also worked directly with technicians of Plastiforte doing practical exercises in the installation of the piping and the tower. From June to December committee members continued training related to the implementation and maintenance of the water system. The six day-long workshops gave the committee members an opportunity to organize the water project, track water usage and promote hygiene campaigns.
a. Coordination with local municipality
The project solidified a legal agreement among the project partners distributing the financial contributions and activities accordingly. The municipality (with partial support from Water For People) funded 53% of the total cost of the system, Etta Projects (with support from Laird Norton) contributed 25%, and the local village contributed 22%. Representatives of the Department of Sanitation also participated in training activities and made frequent trips to the village to support and participate in project activities.
b. Hygiene and sanitation community training.
The project offered community hygiene, sanitation and water training and hygiene promotion activities that included cleanups and hygiene fairs. In September, for example, the entire village of Montegrande participated in a cleaning campaign of both individual residences and the larger community.

c. Water system implementation
Each family assisted in the manual labor necessary to implement the water system. Over forty community members, both male and female, helped in the excavation of trenches for pipes. In September, a team of technicians from Plastiforte traveled to Montegrande to support the village install the hydropneumatic water tower and distribution system. 42 contracts were signed between the water committee and the water consumers, establishing conditions for the provision of water and the responsibilities of all members involved in the project.

2. Project Challenges

The project encountered some unanticipated challenges. Physical factors such as rain and poor roads, for example, impacted the project’s advancements. This year this area had an unprecedented amount of rainfall forcing the project to constantly reschedule workshops and activities. We quickly learned that timelines had to be flexible. We moved locations of the workshops and combined trainings to recuperate time. The heavy rain delayed installation of the water system to September, and therefore prevented in-depth data collection between installation and project closing. If we were to do this project again, we would consider extending the duration of the project to two years to allow more time for outcome evaluation.
Heavy rain also caused unpredictable fluctuations in the power lines, resulting in two brief periods of no water service. The project responded to this challenge by training the water committee in how to react efficiently to resolve electrical problems. We also purchased a stabilizer for the system to protect it during changes in the voltage.
At the start of the project some families did not understand why they had to start making financial contributions for water use. The project worked to find a balance between poor villagers having access to water services and achieving long-term sustainability of the system. Project staff helped villagers set the cost of the water service to be economically acceptable, but have the necessary revenue from water to pay for all overhead, plus repairs and replacements. Through capacity building, community members learned the importance of making payments and they became more invested in holding the committee accountable.
A final challenge was establishing gender equality in water development. Traditionally women have had less of a role in community decision-making structures than men, and despite gender training, the village elected men to hold 5 of the 6 committee positions. However some strides were made to make the system responsive to women’s needs. Empowerment of women to perform their gender role in an efficient way is important to securing sustainable water use. It is mainly women who use the water system for domestic use; and this system ensures that women have access to safe affordable water, and gives them more time for other productive activities.
C. Measureable Outcomes
The most important concrete result is that the entire rural community has access to drinking water via 42 taps with water meters, one in every household and one at the village school. At the start of the project, families reported that the public hand pump or the river as their main source of water. By the end of the project, all families reported that their domestic faucet was their only source of water (i.e. they have not reverted back to existing contaminated sources). This implies a high community awareness of the health risks of contaminated water, and evidence of the effectiveness of the safe water awareness trainings.
An initial study carried out through surveys and observations shows that from September to December there was already some improvement in the health of the rural community of Montegrande. 35.7 % of the families surveyed stated that there was a significant improvement of the health of their family over the past few months. 64.3% stated there was the health conditions stayed the same, while 0% stated that the health conditions had worsened. Diarrhea and intestinal pains were reported as the two water-related illnesses that had most improvements.
Despite the economic challenges of paying for water, 67% families were able to consistently pay their bill on time and in full over the three month period that payment was monitored. All other families were able to make the payments during the one month grace period, prior to their water being shut off. This data supports the promise of a viable, sustainable system.
According to interview and observation results, families improved their hygiene habits over the course of the project. Handwashing after using bathroom and clean water storage showed the most significant improvments.
Families also reported that time women and children previously spent on fetching and drawing water was freed up. The village teacher stated that the students the children’s attendance is more consistent, showing encouraging signs of improved education.
D. Monitoring & Evaluation Tools
This M&E system focused on four components: 1) administration of the water system, 2) hygiene habits, 3), satisfaction and 4) sustainability. Attendance logs and minutes were maintained of all workshops, community water meetings and other project related activities. The water committee members currently use a series of tools (including receipts, records of income & spending, and documentation of monthly water usage) to monitor system administration, local contributions and payment for volume usage. Project staff continues to meet monthly with committee members to review and confirm results. Water meters are used to monitor the amount of water that flows out of each tap and allows the water committee and community members to monitor water usage and to maintain a fee structure to manage the system. Project staff also makes monthly house visits to make observations and to conduct face-to-face interview with families regarding household and personal hygiene, water-related illnesses, access to information regarding the water system, project satisfaction and to get their opinion of the work performed by the local water committee. Project staff also interview local teachers and health workers regarding change in community health.
E. Plan for continuing work on this project
Data collection regarding the sustainability of the water system will continue for the next five years. Etta Projects will continually check that water is available throughout the day and reaches all households. We will also monitor if new households are able to connect to the system.
In order to increase the sustainability of the project, Etta Projects aims to offer ongoing support and training to the water committee and local families. In order to effectively accomplish this, Etta Projects will continue to make monthly visits to Montegrande throughout 2013.
In addition, Etta Projects will use this same technology to implement a water system in a rural village in the neighboring Municipality Santa Rosa. Our work in Montegrande will continue to serve as a blueprint so that we can bring the best practices of this project to upcoming water programs.

September Update

Activities Conducted:
1. Etta Projects collaborated with PLASTIFORTE company to send the materials needed for the project to the community of Montegrande.

2. We met with the members of the community of Montegrande to discuss our partnership and the work that needs to be done to successfully accomplish our goals.

3. In collaboration with the local community we worked to dig trenches in order to facilitate the extension of pipe networks and the installation of potable water systems within the community.

4. We conducted informational meetings with all the members of the community of Montegrande and important public figures, including the Mayor of the Municipality of San Pedro, the Director of Basic Sanitation for the Municipality, the Representative of Water for People, and members of the community Water Committee.

5. The technicians from PLASTIFORTE conducted a training workshop in the community of Montegrande.

6. Members of the community assisted with the installation of the pressurized water tower by the technicians from PLASTIFORTE.

7. We organized a puppet and theatrical workshop with the children and youth of the community to continue implementing and spreading knowledge relating to potable water.

8. We conducted capacity-building and training workshops for the members of the Water Committee in Montegrande.

9. We met to discuss and schedule the activities that remain to be completed during the next three months of this project.

Results:
1. The members of the Water Committee helped transport the materials from the community of Jardeman to Montegrande.

2. We had four meetings to evaluate and quantify the amount of work that has been done so far for this project by the community of Montegrande.

3. Every member of the community dug 50 meters of trench, totaling more than 1000 meters for the community as a whole, with more specifically dedicated to domestic residences.

4. The municipal Representative for Basic Sanitation visited the community to help incorporate the work that is being done by the municipality, and committed his support for new and future projects.

5. The members of the Water Committee and the community learned how to install domestic potable water systems through a workshop conducted by the technicians of PLASTIFORTE.

6. The children and youth of the community organized and created a theatrical, puppet performance around the theme of water. This performance will take place on September 21.

7. We saw the commitment of the Water Committee members to the development and success of their community through their participation in the evening workshops.

8. During our evaluation meeting we came to the following agreements:
a. We planned and committed to a cleaning campaign in the community and the home, scheduled for September 21, 2012.
b. We will conduct monitoring and training workshops and meetings for the Water Committee members every month through the end of 2012. These will take place on the 29th of every month.

informe de julio

Actividades desarrolladas:

1 Se realiza una reunión de organización y planificación para la realización de talleres de capacitación en DESCOM en la comunidad de Montegrande. En esta actividad participaron: Él Sr. Marcelino Solís Presidente del CAPYs, Ing. Dilma Directora Etta Projects y mi persona Leonel Lopez Apaza. Esta actividad se la realizo en la oficina de Etta Projects.

2 Se realizo una reunión con todos los habitantes de la comunidad Montegrande para socializar el proyecto y realizar un cronograma de actividades para la realización del taller en DESCOM.

3 Se realizo un ciclo de talleres con NIÑOS, NIÑAS y ADOLESCENTES de la comunidad Montegrande

a. Se realizo en la comunidad de Montegrande el taller de: LA VIVIENDA EL MANEJO Y USO DEL AGUA, con la participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes.

b. Se realizo el taller en la comunidad de Montegrande sobre: EL CUIDADO Y EL MANEJO DEL AGUA, con la participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes.

c. Se realizo el taller en la comunidad de Montegrande sobre: USO Y TRATAMIENTO DEL AGUA, con la participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes.

d. Se realizo el taller en la comunidad Montegrande sobre: LA HIGIENE Y LA SALUD EN LA FAMILIA; con la participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes

4 Se realizo un trabajo de capacitación individualizada a un miembro del CAPYs, Sr. Sixto Arnés.

5 Se realizo un ciclo de talleres con PADRES Y MADRES DE FAMILIA de la comunidad Montegrande.

a. Se realizo el taller de capacitación en la comunidad de Montegrande en el tema de: LA VIVIENDA EL MANEJO Y USO DEL AGUA; EL CUIDADO Y MANEJO DEL AGUA; Y USO Y TRATAMIENTO DEL AGUA. Con la participación de las madres y padres de familia.

b. Se realizo el taller en la comunidad de Montegrande sobre: LA CONTAMINACIÓN DEL AGUA; Y LA HIGIENE, LA SALUD EN LA FAMILIA; con la participación de madres y padres de Familia.

6 Se realizo visitas domiciliarias a las familias de la comunidad Montegrande durante los días de trabajo de campo.

7 Se realizo una actividad de con vivencia en el rio de la comunidad Montegrande con los niños, niñas y adolescentes.

8 Se efectúo con todos los habitantes de las comunidad de Montegrande los Juegos recreacionales “POR UNA VIDA EN PLENITUD”.

9 Se realizo la excavación de posos para ver el nivel friático del agua en tres sectores de la comunidad. Para esta actividad se establecieron puntos donde el nivel de agua era profundo.

10 Se efecto una reunión de evaluación de las actividades desarrolladas en la comunidad de Montegrande con la participación de: Autoridades Comunitarias y los miembros del CAPYs.

Resultados obtenidos:

1. A través de la reunión de organización y planificación se logro concretar una agenda de trabajo de ejecucion de los talleres de capacitación en la comunidad de Montegrande para las fechas: del 10 al 17 de julio del 2012.

2. El resultado que se obtuvo de la reunión con las habitantes de la comunidad de Montegrande son:

a. Se establece con la comunidad un plan de actividades para la realización del ciclo de talleres.

 Para los niños, niñas y adolescentes el taller se realizara a las 9:00 am todos los Días de miércoles a sábado.
 Padres y madres de Familia. Taller a partir de las 7:00 pm., día por medio.
 Se decide realizar ensayos para ver el nivel freático del suelo.
 Participantes 20 Padres y madres de familia.

3. Los resultados obtenidos en el ciclo de talleres con NIÑOS, NIÑAS Y ADOLESCENTES de la comunidad Montegrande son:

a. Los resultados que se obtuvieron el taller de La Vivienda el Manejo y Uso del Agua son: Los niños, niñas y adolescentes de la comunidad de Montegrande generan conocimientos y prácticas sobre: La Vivienda y el Manejo y Uso del Agua; en esta actividad asistieron 20 participantes.

b. Como resultado de este taller en la comunidad los niños, niñas y adolescentes generaron conocimientos y prácticas sobre: El Cuidado y el Manejo del Agua; en el cual asistieron 25 participantes.

c. A través del desarrollo del taller con los niños, niñas y adolescentes se obtuvo el siguiente resultado: se generaron conocimientos y practica sobre: Uso y Tratamiento del Agua, en esta actividad asistieron 25 participantes.

d. A través del desarrollo del taller con los niños, niñas y adolescentes se obtuvo el siguiente resultado: Se generaron conocimientos y practica sobre: la higiene y la salud en la familia; en esta actividad participaron 20 participantes.

4. A través de la capacitación individualidad al Sr. Sixto Arnés tesorero del CAPYs, se logro consolidar un registro único de Planilla de Aportes Contraparte de la Comunidad. Hasta la fecha de 28 de julio se obtiene los siguientes datos: 27 personas de la comunidad aportaron su contraparte, y 10 personas no dieron aun la contraparte. Se pone un plazo para el pago de la contraparte hasta el 31 de agosto del 2007.

5. Los resultados obtenidos en el ciclo de talleres con padres y madres de familia de la comunidad Montegrande son:

a. A través de los talleres de capacitación a los padres y madres de familias generaron conocimientos y prácticas sobre: La vivienda el manejo y uso del agua. El Cuidado y manejo del Agua. Uso y tratamiento del agua; con la participación de 25 padres y madres de familia.

Producto de este taller de capacitación también se decide realizar una campaña: Limpieza de: La vivienda y la comunidad (fecha aproximada la tercera semana de agosto).

b. A través del desarrollo del taller con madres y padres de familia, se obtuvo el siguiente resultado: Se generaron conocimientos y práctica sobre: La Contaminación del Agua; La Higiene y la Salud en la Familia, en esta actividad asistieron 25 participantes.

6. Se realizo cuatro visitas domiciliarias durante la estadía en la comunidad de Montegrande, a través de esta actividad se logro consolidar la relación de amistad e integración con las familias de la comunidad de Montegrande.

Adema se realizo visitas domiciliarias de los casos particulares que requerían mayor atención, estas son:

• Sra. Olivia.
• Sra. Celestina Limachi.
• Sra. Ana Mamani.
• Sr. Roque Galarza.
• Sra. Andrea Mamani.
• Sra. Herminia Zurita.

7. A través de la actividad de pesca en el rio, se logro establecer vínculos de amistad entre el técnico de Etta Projects y niños, niñas y adolecentes.

8. A través de este evento “POR UNA VIDA EN PLENITUD” en la comunidad de Montegrande se logro establecer vínculos de amistad entre: el Técnico de Etta Projects, los niños/as y adolecentes; padres y madres de familia.

9. A través de esta actividad se logro realizar excavaciones de posos en tres puntos estratégicos, con la finalidad de observar el nivel friático del agua. Los miembros del CAPYs observan que no existe agua ni humedad debajo del suelo. Se llego a la conclusión siguiente: Están listos para realizar la instalación de agua potable.

10. La evaluación de las actividades desarrolladas fue positiva todas las autoridades estaban satisfechos por lo aprendido.

Los compromisos asumidos por las autoridades y la comunidad de Montegrande son:
• Realización de una campaña de limpieza.
• Recepción de la contraparte comunal hasta el 30 de agosto.
• Organizarse para la recepción y trabajo con la empresa PLASTIFORTE