Storming the Castle: March 2012

Last month, for the first time in over 30 years, water flowed out of the faucet at Westphalia All Age School. It has been a long and arduous project delayed by governmental red tape, rain, hillside fires, and lack of support but it is finally completed. And just in time too - the rainwater harvesting tank had been running low due to lack of rainfall in the past few months. Students can feel free to wash their hands anytime and can drink some water after a sweaty game of football!

Students enjoy clean drinking water for the first time in over 30 years

The project was started soon after I arrived in Westphalia, in November 2010 with our first planning meeting. After several months of planning and seeking different means of funding we finally found Appropriate Projects (an itinitative of water charity) and with their help and the support of the National Water Commision (NWC) began burying and laying the pipe in May, 2011. I realized that the pipe from Appropriate Projects would not be enough; we would have to source the water from higher up the hill that we had originally thought. So, we lobbied with NWC and after several months, they agreed to assist us. Then with several weeks of waiting for pipe from NWC followed by several weeks of manual labor, we slowly pieced together the pipe. It was successfully installed by December 2011, in time for my trip back to the United States for Christmas. I arrived back in Jamaica in the middle of January. Before even reaching up to my community, I learned the bad news: our pipe had burned. Some young men caught up in the Christmas festivities had lit a fire on the hillside. In order to protect the pipe (from both fire and people) we had buried it at least 6 inches in the ground - except for about 20 lengths - the 20 lengths that burned. We didn't bury those lengths of pipe because the slope on the hillside was so steep and the grass so tall that it would be very difficult work. With the fire having cleared the grass for us, we were back at it again, this time making sure to completely bury every inch. While it was disheartening at the time, I'm actually glad this happened while I was still in the community rather than later when the community would not necessarily have the resources to repair the pipe.

Connecting the pipe was suspensful. The usual team of three (Fitzroy, the NWC representative in the area and myself) met in Cinchonia Botanical Gardens at the top of the mountain to connect the mile of buried PVC pipe to the main. Also as usual we didn't have the right tools, or fittings for the job. With several pieces of PVC, rubber cement, and a fire, we jerry-rigged a connection that allowed the five houses on the old line to still recieve water and to divert some of it to onto the new line to the school. I hopped on my bicycle and plummeted down the hill to the school to watch the water gush out of the pipe. When I arrived I snuck past the teachers, and expectantly turned on the faucet, hoping to surprise them. Nothing. I dashed back up to the place where the line exited the earth and put my ear to it. Nothing. I disconnected it and looked down the pipe. I'm not sure what I was expecting to see, but again, nothing. Great, there's a leak. Who knows where it is? I slumped down in defeat next to the pipe, trying to muster the courage to walk back up to the top of the mountain looking for leaks when - whoooosh! Out came the water! I had actually beat the water down the mountainside! I let out a scream of joy and all the children came running. We had water! Hug and smiles and our thirst was quenched.

Ms. Tati, our school cook now just turns on the faucet to wash the dishes!

Thank you to all those who have helped in our project: NWC, Appropriate Projects, and all the community members who contributed their hard work. I couldn't have done it without you!