We're almost there!

We just had another SLAB board presentation, which went really well, and we are all getting excited for our departure to Peru.  A LOT has changed since our last SLAB presentation. PlusPetrol and the new government of the community have decided to drill a bigger well for the municipality, so the entire community will have access to enough water. This changes up our project scope pretty drastically, but our help is still needed. We are going to focus on water conservation and ensuring the water the school receives from the city will be potable.

As part of our focus on water conservation, we are going to install water-saving fixtures, including faucets, shower heads, and toilets. Currently they have no shower heads, and the principal would like for the students to be able to take showers once a week. Their toilets will be replaced with dual-flush systems, and a child-sized toilet will also be installed in each bathroom. Due to the high number of small children that attend the school, this one of the principal's initial requests that we thought wouldn't be possible with our old scope. With the absence of the well and distribution system from our scope, we now have the funds to provide the toilets. It's nice to know that the principal will be getting exactly what she wanted. In addition to the installation of fixtures, we are also installing an automated drip irrigation system so that their gardens can be watered more efficiently. We will then teach the community, both the children and adults, the importance of proper sanitation and water conservation.

We also hope to have the water tested prior to our arrival so that we can implement a filtration system if needed. We plan to shock and clean the current distribution system and storage tanks, which are currently very dirty, so they don't contaminate the water further.

To prepare for our project, we received plumbing training yesterday at Pickle Research Center, which was an awesome hands-on learning experience, and now we're all pros at toilet installation. We still have a few more tasks to complete before we're ready to travel, but we can definitely feel it getting close!

Getting some first-hand knowledge

Over the past month, we've been learning so much information to better prepare us for Peru. A couple simulation modules have been created using our findings from the reconnaissance trip so that we can estimate the supplies we need. We also had a workshop on connecting PVC pipes, along with learning about the various types and sizes of connections, so we're all "experts" now.

Recently, we ventured out to Lady B. Johnson Wildflower Center so that we could better grasp the concept of a continuously used cistern system. We learned about each component of the system, as well as any flaws that have been discovered regarding the system in its environment.

These experiences will help us not only as we focus on our trip to Peru but also as we continue our lives after the project. Water is a part of life and well-being, the conservation of water is a issue that must always be on our minds, and knowing more about the systems that deliver the water can only improve the efforts.

Hard Work Paying Off

Projects for Underserved Communities has earned a 2010 International Awards for Innovative Practices in Higher Education. The awards are designed to showcase the most innovative and successful models underway at universities throughout the world. This year's judges included representatives from ASU, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and Sichuan University. The award will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Council on Higher Education, a major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, next month. To learn more about PUC, please visit our NEW site (which will continue to evolve) at: http://www.utexas.edu/international/puc/ The link for the award information is: http://universitydesign.asu.edu/udcawards/2010udcawards. While this does not come with any money, the recognition is an honor and we are proud to receive it!

Semester Agenda

Our team is back from winter break, and back working hard to see this project through to completion. We've gained a few new members to our team, Cynthia Castro, Luke Chanarin, and Matthew Juran, who are just as dedicated to the project as we are. We've also gained the mind and direction of another UT professor, Dr. John Burgin. While fundraising is constantly on our minds and agenda, we are also learning new skills so that we have a better knowledge of drinking water systems, and can implement our project in the most effective ad sustainable manner. We have already visited a lab and learned about the different methods of collecting and testing water to ensure that its quality is within our country's standards. We also look forward to learning about everything from water tanks, pipes, and cistern systems to wastewater treatment and pumps, and even design workshops covering layout and components, building based off our constraints, alternatives, and sizing and specification. This information is all invaluable and will improve our understanding throughout this project and possibly our careers, despite the final outcome of the project.

We are doing our best to make certain our project is implemented in the best way possible, but it is up to each and everyone of our potential supporters to make certain that we actually have the financial means to do so. Please donate to this cause and help provide potable water to the hundreds of students that desperately need it; it is much appreciated!!!

1st Peru Trip January 11-17th 2010

After much hard work: fundraising, logistics, communications, scheduling, researching, etc.
We finally had Adrian Frias, and myself, Rosaura Estrada go to Peru.
http://picasaweb.google.com/estraros/20100121?feat=directlink


The link above will show you our pictures and videos.
We met so many people and found out so many crucial information.
It truly was a blessing meeting so many positive and enthusiastic people.
Within one week I learned an immense amount: how a community deals with problems, how the municipality of Paracas distributes water, how much the people suffer from lack of water, a little about how the pipping and storage system for water works, how the government interacts with its community and surrounding businesses, how the culture of a country can resonate beautifully from its food to its music to its people. And I also learned that there are so many people out there like Dr. Ellzey or Steve Crowell cheering for us and helping us meet our goals of helping communities internationally.
I can't wait for the summer.
I invite everyone and anyone to learn more about this beautiful movement that is taking place at UT Austin: Engineering students using their knowledge and skills to positively impact communities around the world.

To the Peru team: I hope everyone is as enthusiastic and ready as I am.

These people need our help and like Mr. Armando Estrada (Community Relations Chair of Pluspetrol) said, we are the future and its up to us. They are here to help us to learn and do as much as we can.

Nunca Pierdan las ganas. NEVER loose that perseverance and motivation to help others.
-Rosaura

Check us out in The Daily Texan!

That's right, PUC is starting to generate some major publicity after our Concert for a Cause. The staff at The Daily Texan did an amazing article explaining the benefit event and the class itself, along with the hopes and goals that will result. Read it here.

It's almost weird; the more word gets out, and the more people there are outside of the class that know about our efforts, the more REAL it seems.

Thanks again to all who came out and to those helping make this all a success!

We're well on our way!

So the Concert for a Cause was a success!! We had three great bands, Kalua, Cameron Vail, and When the Lights Turn Red, along with an awesome collection of silent auction items donated, ranging from framed pictures to rugs to chairs, almost all of which were sold. We had a great turnout, and raised a little over $1200, but more importantly, got the word out for our cause.

But even better news...two of our members are guaranteed going to Peru in January!!! A big thanks to our local stakeholder, Steve Crowell, the CEO of PlusPetrol, who is willing to pay for their travel expenses, so that we can make our initial reconnaissance trip sooner and more effieciently begin the designs of the project when we return to school in January.

We're also hoping to raise more money over the winter break, by speaking at our local Rotary clubs, applying for grants, and hopefully hearing back from some companies that wish to support us. With the initial trip well under way, this project is starting to feel less like another school assignment and more like reality! As each day approaches we are getting more and more excited about what we are doing and the amazing community that we are helping. Thanks to all who have donated so far, and thanks in advance to those who will donate it the future!!