Category: Projects

Community:	Azacilo/Colani
Coordinates:	15d45’08.32″s   68d48’43.38″w
Dept.:	La Paz
Type of Project:	Student Immersion
Project Stage:	Assessment
Population Benefited:	99 Families
Funding Source:	University of Oklahoma, EWB
Partners/EWB Chapter:	University of Oklahoma, EWB
Project Manager:	Ricardo Condori/Juan Chinchilla

 

The Intercultural Community Immersion Program provides an opportunity for qualified students with an interest in international or cultural studies to live and work in a rural, Bolivian community for a period of three to six weeks. The program is operated through a partnership between EIA, the participating university, and the community. Community benefits include cultural and technical interactions with students from the global north that can enhance the quality and sustainability of development programs being implemented in the community. Student benefits include developing a better understanding of rural, Bolivian cultures; of the challenges of implementing effective WASH programs in remote and impoverished regions; and of the factors that impact the sustainability of development programs. EIA benefits include gathering of important community baseline data that can enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of ongoing WASH programs that will help to enhance the community’s health and wellbeing.

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Community:	Puerto Pando
Coordinates:	15d25’4.08”s   67d36’4.32”w
Dept.:	La Paz
Type of Project:	Water Project
Project Stage:	Assessment
Population Benefited:	90 people
Funding Source:	Missouri University S&T, EWB
Partners/EWB Chapter:	Missouri University S&T, EWB
Project Manager:	Juan Antonio Chinchilla

During the trip, the team also surveyed the land, tested water quality, and spoke with the community about what they most desired within their area. Over the next few years, the goal is to help build a sustainable storage tank, sedimentation tank, water conveyance line, pipeline suspension bridge, and water distribution system.Located deep within the Amazon jungle, Missouri S&T started their first assessment trip to Puerto Pando in June 2016. The team quickly realized that the community had a lot of problems with their water system. For example, their wooden tank was leaking and rotten, and their piping was insufficient to meet the needs of the entire community.

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Community:	Calcha
Coordinates:	20°22’07.8” S 65°27’53.2” W
Dept.:	Potosi
Type of Project:	Foot Bridge
Project Stage:	Implementation
Population Benefited:	85 Families
Funding Source:	Cornell EWB
Partners/EWB Chapter:	Cornell University- EWB
Project Manager:	Ricardo Condori

The main problem the community of Calcha faces is during the rainy season. There is a river in between the community and their fields, and when it rains, the river becomes unpassable. Therefore, the community requested a bridge to be able to safely access their crops. Using the Bridges to Prosperity manual, the Cornell team has been able to design and implement a suspended pedestrian bridge. The construction of the bridge took 6 weeks during the summer of 2016, and is now available for community members to safely cross the river.

To view Cornell’s files regarding their work in Calcha, including work plans, assessments and much more click here.

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Community:	Aripalca
Coordinates:	S 20.554444 W 65.491389
Dept.:	Potosi
Type of Project:	Irrigation
Project Stage:	Implementation
Population Benefited:	120 Families
Funding Source:	University of Florida
Partners/EWB Chapter:	University of Florida, EWB
Project Manager:	Ricardo Condori

The University of Florida EWB chapter has been partnered with Aripalca for four years, in hopes of helping improve their irrigation system. This system suffers water loss due to damage from frequent flooding. The main goal of this project is to repair the channel walls, therefore strengthening water flow.

Increasing the water will allow a stronger crop yield as well as help equally redistribute water amongst the community. The team is also in the process of building a Gabion wall to further protect the channel from damage.

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Community:	Piquinani
Coordinates:	17° 21′ 00″ S 67° 49′ 00″ W
Dept.:	La Paz
Type of Project:	Greenhouse
Project Stage:	Assessment
Population Benefited:	25
Funding Source:	–
Partners/EWB Chapter:	University of Memphis, EWB
Project Manager:	Carlos E. Aguilera

The Memphis team conducted the first assessment trip in the community to determine the sizes and design. This way, the team can succeed in finding sufficient resources for the project. This project is important as it has a direct impact on migration and food security.The Piquiñani community already has drinking water so the team decided to provide and install an intensive production system of solar tents.

Community: Yulo, Calcha and Airipalca
Dept.: Potosi
Type of Project: Health and Hygiene Workshops
Project Stage: Training
Population Benefited: 1,265 people
Funding Source: UMCOR Health Promotion
Partners/EWB Chapter: UMCOR Health Promotion
Project Manager: Aleine

This project is EIA’s pilot health and hygiene project. It starts with workshops to promote different health and hygiene techniques. The next stage are the follow up surveys to ensure the community is adopting the principals taught in the workshops.

This project is part of a larger program whose main objective is to improve environmental and personal health within the Juckucha river basin area. This area has been adversely affected by mining. At the end of the project, we will re-evaluate to see what can be done differently and to integrate it into water system projects in the future.