Why the SOS?
A heavily populated indigenous “homeland” is just to the south of us,
but like many “homelands” set aside for indigenous people it’s
extremely poor.
Large dams started construction where we work, attracting thousands
of indigenous men — and their families — in search of jobs and medical help
often unavailable in their homeland. Thousands of school-aged children
came with their parents.
One overwhelmed school principal called it a “human tidal wave.”
Schools’ existing water supplies –already inadequate – became a
health crisis, with many indigenous children sick.
VALLE RISCO – 985 students and no water on-site.
“Bucket brigades” were sent to the nearest stream 15 minutes away,
but the stream was often dried up or polluted by people and
animals upstream.
This emergency situation called for an emergency response.
We installed our first MEGA-SYSTEM of four rain catchment tanks.
Our four tanks enter Valle Risco school on two trucks
Local school fathers help install the rain catchment guttering
Ken Eide of OSDW puts the finishing touches on the Mega System
NANCE RISCO – no water, no school lunches for four months
Photo – a visibly-shocked visitor sees unusable food stacked to the ceiling
in the closed kitchen. Piles of food, but no water to cook it with.
LA GLORIA – 500-plus students in need of safe water
get our second MEGA SYSTEM.
A very happy principal now has safe water for her kids!
BUT — 4,000 students in six schools are still waiting for for safe water.
Water not fit for human consumption.
photo: the water supply for 144 students at
Playa Hermosa on Peninsula Valiente.
The school “well” is an unprotected hole at the bottom of a hill.
Everything on the hill drains into it during a rain.
IT’S EASY TO HELP
$20 will provide safe, disease-free water for 50 students and villagers
for years to come.
$50 will provide safe water for 150 people
$100 will provide safe water for 300 students and villagers
$975 will provide your own rain-catchment tank with your name
on it (The choice of many families, schools and groups)
At age 71 Joe came out of retirement to start
Operation Safe Drinking Water. At 75, he’s still
going strong, climbing with his team to remote hill villages
like this one.
3 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT US
We’re a 501 c 3 charity.
No one receives a salary or compensation
We’re all volunteers — and donors.
