The group split into teams of 3 and worked with a local translator.  Community leaders helped identify the households and introduced the teams to the families.  Each household was asked questions about their use of the filter and if they were happy with the unit.  Team members checked to make sure the units were level , timed the output flow rate, took water samples and ran tests to document the reduction rate for sediment, E. coli and other coliform contaminates.  The result of the testing was very positive, showing that the filters are being used and maintained by the families and that they are improving the quality of their water.

Throughout the day, children would follow to see what we were doing.  Even though most people in Nicaragua do not speak English, there seems to be no language barrier when it comes to smiles, sports, blowing bubbles and treats.  As soon as we brought out footballs and frisbees, the number of kids seemed to multiply.  A group of boys showed us the games they play with spinning wooden tops.  A group of girls started a game of catch-me-if-you-can, which of course generated much laughter!

Nights were spent at Rancho Las Alpes were we were treated to wonderful  food, beautiful scenery and time to relax and enjoy each other’s company.  A night at the beach, sledding/boarding down the slopes of the volcano Cerro Negro and a trip to the market for some local crafts, rounded out a successful week.

Currently there are about 1,000 filters in homes with more being added each year.  This periodic testing will be an ongoing process.  Interested in helping?  Excited about meeting new people?  Want to experience a different country?  Contact us to form or join a group!

ACI Tours for Service

Aqua Clara is currently planning week long trips to Nicaragua.  Our trips are for individuals, families or groups of friends looking for that opportunity to help others.  No experience is needed, just a heart for people and a willingness to learn.

Spots are open for trips during the weeks of May 14-26.

Have your own group of at least 10 people?  We can coordinate a trip based on your schedule.

Contact Marcia Buck at mbuck@aquaclara.org

New Technology Uses Solar UV To Disinfect Drinking Water

Norton Middle School starts collecting coins for clean water!

ACI has teamed up with Katie Spotz, endurance athlete and safe water advocate in an exciting campaign bring safe water to schools in Kenya.  Katie started  the Schools for Water campaign after spending a month with ACI in Kenya visiting some of the projects that had been funded through her previous rowing and biking adventures.   Katie and eleven schools in the Cleveland area are working together to make history through Schools for Water. Each school is raising enough coins to make a four mile line (which is the average distance children in Kenya walk each day for water).  With each school doing their part, we’re lining up the coins and attempting to break the world record for the longest line of coins, ultimately helping thousands of children gain access to safe water.  ACI staff in Kenya are hard at work selecting the schools that will benefit from this campaign.

Check back here for more details and be part of this exciting project by making a donation to Schools for Water!  100% of the funds raised will go directly to ACI projects at schools in Kenya.

One of the most valuable aspects of being part of PWX is the peer review process for funding proposals and project implementation. Each organization involved with PWX is responsible for reviewing a number of proposals from other organizations in each funding round. This process helps facilitate learning and collaboration within theWASH sector, while also helping to improve the programs of the organizations involved. The peer review process also helps funders to make more informed decisions about which projects to fund as they have already been vetted by experts.

PWX has also worked to simplify the project reporting process. Organizations post regular status reports online which shows the progress of a project while also adding to transparency. These reports allow organizations to easily report on what has happened in the project, what was learned, and how the donor money was spent. Finally the peer reviewers and parties involved in the process share and assess the long-term impact of a project. PWX is an active database that has frequently updated reports and is taking an innovative approach to tackling the scale of the water crisis worldwide.
Learn more about PWX at www.peerwater.org.

On July 1st, a dozen local leaders from the rural area of Rigoma (near Kisii in Kenya), met with ACI staff to officially donate a building to serve as the site of ACI's first H2Ope Center – a center of community support and training operations. This first center will have office space for ACI staff, lab space for the regular testing of purifiers, and a large classroom for the continual training of entrepreneurs as well as community health workers.

Though the building doesn't currently look like much, it is one of the largest and most solidly built in the rural area where most of ACI's entrepreneurs are working. Originally a government cash crop buying center, it has lain largely unused for years. The local officials present were happy to donate it to ACI's programs, being very pleased that ACI chooses to base itself in the rural areas rather than in city-centers, as they see many other rural development projects choosing.

While moving forward with its training center, ACI has continued to expand its partnerships in the area, including shared training promoting income generating projects applicable for the rural environment. In June, ACI partnered with African Development Initiatives (ADI) staff to conduct its first training in high-yield greenhouse and drip irrigation construction and management. Soon, ACI will be involved in the construction of simple, effective affordable latrines, as well as discounted rain water harvesting systems.