Week #21 - Merry Christmas

 

T'was the week before Christmas and all through the land, not a Honduran was stirring, not even lifting a hand.

 

It was a very busy week for us trying to finish everything before we leave for New York.  On Monday and Tuesday we were out at the taller teaching them how to balance their account and submit an expense sheet in order to get their next check.  We also hired our new site manager on Tuesday and it turns out she has been friends with some of the Rotary members since childhood so she will fit in nicely.  We left for the airport that night and left for the States on Wednesday morning.  I hate flying to the States now with all their ridiculous rules, like not being able to bring water or toothpaste into the plane.  Well, being the rebel I am, I thought how can I get around this?  Simple, tuck the bottles in the back of my pants and walk through the metal detector.  Thursday we went out shopping for our Christmas tree and found a nice little tree for only $10 (marked down from $40!).  The next day I went to start my computer and got the dreaded blue screen of death.  I have not been able to get our computer to work properly since, and I am absolutely lost without it!  (I'm writing this at Carolyn's house today.)  Saturday I spent ripping the thing apart and rebuilding it.  Still no luck.  :-(

 

Getting on the school bus for our daily trip out to San Juan

(This is also a special picture for my nephew Ty)

 

Gustavo and Enelida are longtime childhood friends

 

My smuggled contraband on the plane

 

Now all we need is some snow

 

The dreaded blue screen of death, and a $1500 paperweight

 

Searching for the problem among the pieces

 

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Wat/San/Health Consultant
www.PureWaterForTheWorld.blogspot.com
www.RobJKentJr.blogspot.com
Cell: +504 871-5318
Work/Home: +1 (631) 458-1119

Week #20 - Still on a bus

 

This is the last week before Christmas, and what a week it has been considering the whole country started it's month long vacation on Monday.  We spent Monday morning collecting money people owed us, and the afternoon standing in line at the bank.  Tuesday, we were stood up for another meeting by MAMUCA but they had a good excuse; it was raining, hard.  Wednesday we were back out at the taller inspecting the first batch of 50 filters.  Then Thursday we were on the road again out to Trujillo to meet Maria, another candidate for country director.  Who would have ever thought we would be doing interviews and rejecting people???  The next day it was a 7 hour bus ride to our next meeting in Tela about a new project starting next year.  We also met an acting troop that was interested in putting together an education production about water health.  On the way home the next day we stopped at the taller again to give them another check, which completes the first phase of our grant for 100 filters!

 

Notice the express sign in the window, and the line of 7 people waiting.

What you can't see are the 8 people inside just standing around.

 

Helping the kids clean the health center while we waited an hour for MAMUCA to show up.

 

100 completed filters!!!

 

Relaxing after an interview with Susan, Maria and Brent a PCV from Trujillo

 

The Tela Rotary group, who are all doctors and one French-Canadian

 

But the French-Canadian's husband runs an acting troop that makes some amazing props.

 

Money, just in time to buy some Christmas tamales and apples.

It always makes you feel good knowing that you have helped someone.

 

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Wat/San/Health Consultant
www.PureWaterForTheWorld.blogspot.com
www.RobJKentJr.blogspot.com
Cell: +504 871-5318
Work/Home: +1 (631) 458-1119

Week #19 - The (kind of) big road trip

This week was the beginning of the second phase of our filter construction. We made the diffuser plates and tops, cleaned our sand for the filter media, and painted our logos onto the filters.  With this last part, we ran into a problem with MAMUCA's complicated logo and the cost required to paint it using a different stencil for each color.  We finally agreed to a sticker with some sort of water proofing over it.  The highlight of this week was our big road show to introduce Gerardo to all the project sites.   But at the last minute, he informed us about a better offer he received to stay with his current employer and decided to accept.  We're sorry to have lost him.  At least we got to spend Friday night at a great Rotary fair, meeting our new project counterparts from Nicaragua and El Salvador.  And our last bit of business on Saturday was an interview with a great candidate for health promoter. 

 Another busy week finished and only 2 more until Christmas vacation! Over which, we will be back in NY from the 20th to the 1st and up in Vermont visiting Carolyn on the 26th and 27th.  A well needed break. 

What do you notice about MAMUCA's ironic logo? The gears don't mesh, let alone touch.

 

"All seven colors MUST be used to paint our logo on the filter!" 

 

We started making our diffuser tops...

 

...and cleaning our sand with bleach.

 

Where's Gerardo?

 

So many people to meet, when will we have time to eat?

 

Our new health promoter for La Ceiba?

 

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com

Wat/San/Health Consultant

www.PureWaterForTheWorld.blogspot.com

www.RobJKentJr.blogspot.com

Cell : +504 871-5318

Work /Home: +1 (631) 458-1119

Week #18 - Cars and Worms

 

What a productive week we had. After arriving back in Honduras, we got right on a bus and went to the taller to drop off their new cement vibrator.  While there, we also gave a quick lesson to the taller workers on how to keep track of their expenses using Excel.  It is amazing how much general knowledge we take for granted when speaking with people.  Tuesday, we went to the Department of Health to test our sand sample for heavy metal and biological contaminants.  We picked up the results on Wednesday, they showed the sand to be within acceptable limits and ready to use after being washed.  Thursday, we spent all day looking for a truck and decided Fords use too much gas.  Friday, we started interviewing people for the position of health promoter and site manager.  We started taking our semi-annual dosage of deparasiting pills the very next morning.

 

So many times I wish I had a camera to capture a sunrise in a plane. I finally did.

 

"Doesn't everyone get a cement vibrator for thanksgiving in America?"

 

Learning to use Excel- "We have how much money left?"

 

It really is very clean sand.

 

It's big, it's tough and it costs about twice as much for gas as a Toyota diesel

 

She loved talking about worms and amoebas...

 

...and the next day we went out to buy some medicine.

 

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com

Wat/San/Health Consultant

www.PureWaterForTheWorld.blogspot.com

www.RobJKentJr.blogspot.com

Cell : +504 871-5318

Work /Home: +1 (631) 458-1119