Yann in Rwanda (8) - Reflections of a Newbie Volunteer in Africa

The first day in the field (Tuesday Feb. 15, 2011) had its ups and downs for the water quality testing of selected water points.  Thanks to the preparation the night before (we had all the instruments calibrated and divided between the two teams).  What did not go as well, is that the survey data was supposed to be saved each time we press the “save and start new” button on the Android (cell phone), but we realized later that the data was lost (got never saved, or kept being re-written, not clear yet what the glitch was) in particular the GPS coordinates corresponding to the water quality sample sites.  Guy Beauchemin (who is military trained) had a back-up of a back-up (you know PACE: Plan, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency) and had all his coordinates handwritten in his notebook.

The Water Quality team may have been unlucky that day (because of all the extra preparation that got us back to the hotel a little before 11:00 pm), but it was worse for the survey teams given: (1) the above issue (critical for the survey teams) and (2) the fact that there was a torrential downpour that afternoon (and I mean literally sheets of water for an hour) ... The water quality teams were cozily back that afternoon in the lab for the analyses and updating results.

When leaving the US for the WFP assignment in Rwanda, I was mildly anxious (How is the assignment going to be actually performed? Will plans/equipment be reliable? How much redundancy/contingency to consider when packing? etc.) with a dash of trepidation (looking forward to experience equatorial Africa, directly helping a region of the world in dismal need of drinking water and sanitation, etc.).  Having the trip fully supported (thanks to the great generosity of family, friends, and fellow parishioners) and the fact that GCWW allowed me to be on City time meant that I could go headlong without having to worry about finances at home and be free to go headlong into the mission. 

The BlackBerry upgrade to the Global plan proved to be crucial (thanks again April!) because for the first few days, it was the ONLY means of communications back to the US (email and voice) since issues kept plaguing the WiFi internet access at the inn (and also interface issues between the internet cable connection of the Water for People-Rwanda office and my laptop had be resolved before I finally was able to post some blogs; that connection proved very slow though [certainly not DSL-grade!], so I could not upload any of the short videos on GCWW’s YouTube channel because each would take over 100 minutes …  That’s why you did not see videos of the volunteers as I was mentioning in the earlier posts.

Often this assignment gives the impression of being a drop in the ocean of water and sanitation needs for this developing country.  The capacity needs to be built, and I don’t mean system capacity, but rather population education: skills, buy-in into the necessity and benefit of public health progress, etc.  Bringing just water systems is wholly inadequate for true sustainable progress if the local population does not believe that (1) the improvement is necessary and that (2) proper administration, operation, and maintenance of the system is required for continually deriving benefits from it. 

If the benefits are not obvious to the local population (e.g., if they are not sick now, maybe because of some immunity they developed towards the pathogens), then any water improvement is not seen as necessary and they will simply end up entertaining the goodwill of NGOs (e.g., if the system breaks, they will wait until the next NGO comes along to repair it). 

The water system improvement has to last, otherwise (and I believe that has happened in a number of developing countries), when the drinking water system breaks down, the population becomes sicker: while the system was ongoing, their immune system decreased because of the improved water quality (i.e., similar to the Western world), and become more susceptible to the pathogens when the system breaks down.  Hence good intentions without a long term (sustainable) plan end up doing more damage than doing nothing …

Yann in Rwanda (7) - Introducing the World Water Corps team

Monica Brown is the Assistant Director for Foundation Relations at Water for People (WFP) and leads the World Water Corps team for this assignment.  Born in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean) and raised up in Uganda, she worked for the World Bank for 12 years before joining WFP.  She is excited about the mission the team will perform in Rwanda.

Julie Labonté, originally from Quebec and now living in San Francisco, is the director of the 12-year, $4.6-billion water system improvement program for San Francisco Public Utilities.  This is her first assignment with the World Water Corps (WWC), and very excited about being in Rwanda and help the team come up with water solutions for some of the water issues in this country.  She has been to Africa before, but this is the first time with an organization like Water for People.

Guy Beauchemin comes from Montreal, Quebec (Canada) and his background is in water treatment.  He is a specialist in “municipal water, sewage water, industrial water, bottled water, and even … military water as Engineer in the Canadian Army”.  It is now his first experience in “humanitarian water”.  He thanks his wife and four kids to allow him to go to the warm and special continent of Africa.

And then there is me ... (and you know what I do and what I look like!)

Yann in Rwanda (6) - First Field Day!

After a very short night (gone to bed around midnight, up at 6:00 am) and with a pinch of apprehension about how well the day will go (e.g., getting the team together, meeting the various local officials to guide us at the selected water points, sampling conditions, testing methods, etc.), Guy and I headed two water quality teams, each with a driver, student, and local official in a 4x4. 

The first sector (out of 4 for this 2-week assignment) was located in Masaka, and as soon as you leave the outskirt of Kigali (the capital of Rwanda) any road branching off the principal road going East becomes a red-dirt road meandering through banana plantations.  The going was slow (usually no more than 15 mph) that day between the four target community water points.  We returned back to the office early in the afternoon to enter the data and start the microbiological analyses.

Some of the sites were piped (under pressure) community water taps, but one was also the river down in the valley (very turbid, and definitely E. Coli positive: 16 cfu/mL !).  Below are a couple pictures of the river (Nyabarongo) and of a typical community water tap.

Yann in Rwanda (5) - Preparation Day

Monday was preparation day for the next several field days.  Perpetue Kamuyumbu, WFP country coordinator and Monica Brown (WFP staff in Denver and also a World Water Corps team member) explained to the rest of the WWC team (Julie Labonte, Guy Beauchemin, and me) and the volunteer students (Generation Rwanda) and local officials (e.g., sector representatives, etc.) the purpose of the assignment and how the surveys and the water quality tests would be conducted. 

A key part of the mission is the Android phone with the survey app that will feed the data (GPS coordinates, photo, type of water system, number of people using the system, and 50 other similar questions about the system and the population it serves, etc.) for the FLOW program (www.waterforpeople.org/flow).  Below is a snapshot from the presentation, which briefly explains the objectives and methods to get there.

In the evening, the water quality team (Guy Beauchemin and I) went to the WFP-Rwanda office to check on all equipment and supplies for the tests (flow, pH, hardness, alkalinity, chlorine, turbidity, TDS, total coliforms, and E. Coli).  We went back to the hotel late that night but ready for the next day (see next post!).

Yann in Rwanda (4) - Finally Back with an Internet Connection

For a few days I have been out of communications (internet) and therefore I could not update the blog during that time.  The WiFi from the hotel was very temperemental and excruciatingly slow and directly plugging the internet cable at the WFP-Rwanda office did not work.  I realized later that I needed to completely turn off both the wireless and radio features on the laptop before the internet cable could be attached.  Anyway, now I am back and I can share a little more of what has been happening in the last 2 or 3 days.  In the following posts, I will try to give you an idea of what happened since Monday along with a few pictures.

Yann in Rwanda (3) - "the Genius of Water"

          

          

            In downtown Cincinnati, the aptly named Fountain Square, displays many sculptures integrated in one fountain representing the genius of water: drinking water, fire protection, agriculture, etc.  Water is a requisite tool in the development of a region: lack of it, or inadequate treatment, blocks lasting (sustainable) development.  Water is such an essential element, even more than food in that you can survive three weeks without food, but only three days without water. 

At the turn of the tap, we receive for pennies an abundant supply of high quality water because of the dedicated and continued efforts of engaged employees at GCWW.  The continuous investments in research and infrastructure over the almost 200 years of its history, made GCWW a prominent water system in the US, and even in the word. 

As the water quality improved, especially at the turn of the 20th century when sand filtration (Cincinnati Water Works was a pioneer with the work of George Fuller) and chlorination dramatically decreased typhoid fever cases, people started to take greater care of it and to use more of it, which further contributed to the economic development of the region.  

The lack of adequate water systems in rural and peri-urban areas in Rwanda prevents such sustainable economic growth.  Imagine having to walk half a mile each way, wait for your turn to get water (from 20 min to up to 1 hour), carry back 5-gal jugs so your family can have water (with a quality we would probably object to): at the minimum, the time spent for getting this basic necessity is time not available to do some productive work. 

So how can this situation be turned around?  See the upcoming post about Water for People and its mission.  I plan also tomorrow to have a quick video introduction of the other World Water Corps team members, so keep tuned!

Yann in Rwanda (2) - "But First, a Word from our Sponsors ..."

I would like to thank numerous people and organizations who made this mission possible. 

§  Water for People and their World Water Corps (WWC) for organizing these assignments and recruiting volunteers to accomplish them.

§  Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW)

üDavid Rager (past Director) and Biju George (interim Director) for allowing me to participate in this assignment

üRick Merz and Verna Arnette for agreeing to let me check water system operation far away from the Richard Miller Treatment Plant

ü Debbie Metz for arranging the initial funding of this trip

üYeongho Lee and Mike Tyree for scrambling to find me a pH meter and portable chlorine monitor, as well as all kinds of water quality strip tests

üApril Sherril for working hard with ETS and Verizon to upgrade my BlackBerry so I can communicate (voice and email) while in the field

§  Family and friends who made very generous donations from as far as Japan, Scotland, sunny Florida, cool California, under-the-snow Massachusetts, historic Virginia, and here in Cincinnati.

§  Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Anderson for the initial donation that kick started the rest, and the pastor and fellow parishioners of St Gertrude Church in Madeira who have shown tremendous financial support.

§  And last but not least my wife Mary and my five children Thomas, Gabriel, Paul, Isabelle, and Dominic for encouraging me to take this assignment without holding back.