For five weeks beginning in June, ACI’s newest interns, Andrew Neevel and Clara Scriemer, worked with our partner organization, AMOS Health and Hope in Nicaragua to supervise ACI biosand and hollow membrane filters in rural communities. They visited three different communities, spending a week in each. They led groups of AMOS volunteers in home visits, sometimes hiking hours to locate five or six remote homes. Filters were already installed in all three communities, so the filter teams checked in with families, offered support, and performed maintenance if necessary. Filter supervisions proceed more like a conversation than a list of questions, while identifying opportunities for improvement. Sometimes the filter itself needs fixing, but the filter owners often needed refreshers on proper use. In addition to the filter supervisions, filter groups took advantage of the home visit to educate community members about Zika. The vast majority were familiar with Dengue and Chikungunya, but had not yet heard of Zika.

The experiences Clara and Andrew had in the field will no doubt shape their work in research and development back in the ACI lab. They really enjoyed the trip and are grateful for your continued support.