August 13, 2010
Bittersweet, is the adjective that describes this week. The internship is officially over and we successfully finished our presentation, however I am overwhelmed with sadness. As we reached our closer, I started to remember all the moments we (the Honduran students and I) spent together. I am truly going to miss them!
Our presentation was held on Monday and we did great! I have to admit that I was nervous before we began because there was a relatively large number of people who showed up, but everyone loved it. The presenters were myself, Fernando and Diana and our presentation discussed the importance of sanitation, hygiene and water through the existence of latrines. We all did a wonderful job. After the presentation, Sharon decided to take us all out to dinner for the last time as a treat.
As I look back at the beginning of the summer, I started to see how much I have grown. In the working field, I learned the significance of sanitation, clean water and hygiene and how they are all closely related. I learned how to respect and embody another culture and view their perspective in a different light. Not only have I grown as a student but I have also grown as a person. I will never forget this summer 🙂
love jojo
August 8, 2010
This week’s objective was simple, but the required steps needed to reach the objective was not. My objective was to create a PowerPoint slide show on the latine models (Bahareque and Adobe) and present it to all of the summer excel students at Lafayette. I am certainly glad that Professor Sharon picked that particular project to present because it is by far the coolest 🙂
Fernando is my partner working on this project and I think we work well together! As each day passed, the PowerPoint presentation started to rapidly expand and in the blink of an eye, it went from 1 slide to 42 slides. We filled the pages with, first introducing the audience to sanitation and then talking about how poor sanitation can be prevent by implementing latrines. Then from there we talk about the different types of latrines, its main components, and how we constructed the Bahareque and adobe latrines eg…
So far, I think our presentation is going great, and I hope that the other students like it as well. The Honduran students are leaving next weekend and time is flying by. We spent almost 2 months with the Honduran students and we have all grown to like each other not just as partners but also as friends…I know it is going to be hard to say our final goodbye
-Jojo
August 1, 2010
One of the main reasons why I love this internship is because it allows you to utilize and develop academic knowledge in the engineering world and also (more importantly) help you develop multicultural competence. The criteria for the four U.S.A. students is spending 4-weeks in Honduras , while the Honduran students spend relatively the same amount of time in America (very similar to an exchange program). I view this cultural switch as the turning point. The tables has turned and now it is time to see what the Honduran students think about our country!
It was exciting to see how the Honduran students reacted once upon arrival. The first night we gave them a brief tour of Lafayette and introduced them to a college student’s best friend named Wawa. ” Everything was different” they told me. When we were walking back to the dorm room, we were confronted by a skunk, which is not typically uncommon but they started to take picture and admire the small creature because they have never seen a skunk before. These are the moments where I appreciate this opportunity because it gives me the chance to open my eyes and experience things that I have never experienced before.
Monday was a tour of Easton, including the Crayola factory. It was a day where I got in touch with my inner childhood life again. What really applauded me instantly was a fact that was posted on the wall. It stated that their was a lawsuit adjusting change during the creation of the peach color crayon because they realized that every one’s color was not the same.
Tuesday we gave them a tour of Eastons’ Waste-water Treatment Plant, followed by a Landfill tour. It was interesting to see the different techniques that were used to clean the water here compared to the ones used in Honduras. We also went to New York and toured the whole city! We walked the Brooklyn bridge, ate on Broadway, saw the Liberty Bell, visited the museum of skyscrapers, shopped in time square, relaxed in central park and witnessed the view of the entire city on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. We did this all in one day and trust me it was not easy.
For the remaining couple of days we finally finished our Bahareque Procedure Paper! (which was very exciting) and we started our power point presentation on latrine models that will take place in August to all the Excel students. I am working with Fernando to create the powerpoint presentation. During that time, Sharon also organized a formal lunch meeting with the other Lafayette groups who worked in Honduras as well. It was nice to sit and mingle with the people who shared the same experience and talk about how their project impacted Honduras.
Overall this week went great! I know the Honduran students loved USA because their fingers never released from the camera.
Next week we will continue our powerpoint presentation and continue to bond together as one group despite our background..
-Jojo
July , 24,2010
Apart of me left as I stepped onto the continental aircraft Saturday afternoon. No one can replace the experience I had in Honduras. As the days went by I started to look back at the great opportunity I had, and it was then that I realized, I was truly blessed.
On Monday, July 19th we visited two rural communities: Las Nieyes and El Retiro . The purpose of this trip was to monitor the success rate of Water For People’s and other NGOs projects that where installed in various households. As a tool of assessment we asked a series of questions to evaluate the usage of their water, sanitation, and hygiene. To cover more ground we split into two groups and I was paired with Carmen and Michael. As I look back at the data, most of the project latrines built were being properly utilized by the household members including the water taps. The results were impressive and the success rate was good…all except for one. A middle aged, construction worker had a pour-flush latrine in fairly good condition located behind his adobe house. Unfortunately, his latrine was not being used because the pit was dug in unstable soil, so the pit walls caved in and flooded the latrine. It was sad to witness this event because this miscalculation or poor judgment affected the entire project significantly. Since the pit walls caved in, the system could no longer be used. This showed me that sometimes things just happen.
Wednesday, July 21st was a long productive day spent in the Water For Poeple’s Office finishing the procedures on how to construct a Bahareque Latrine.
Thursday, July 22nd was the day we finished our BAHAREQUE LATRINE!!! It was nice to see the members of the household working amongst themselves as a family and working with us. I believe this process gave them the feeling of ownership and knowledge on how to construct a latrine and properly maintain it over the years. I also believe that this type of educational method is the best approach on trying to handle a world wide issue of sanitation. Since, the family finished most the tasks need to be done over the weekend, which was the making the slab for the pit and finishing the bamboo roof, all we (Carmen, Fernando, and myself) had to do was dig a drainage system around the pit to project it from irrigation. We worked on the latrine for 2 weeks, and every time I walked up the hill to reach the desired location I dreaded work even more. I thought that once we finished building the latrine, we would be immersed with joy because for one, we actually finished and number two, I did not have to walk back up the hill again. However, I was happy when we finished but right after that I was saddened because I new that it meant that it was time for us to go. I built a relationship with the kids from the house and it was heartbreaking to let them go but I know they will never forget what we have done together, because I never will
-Jojo
July 18, 2010
This week flew by very quickly!
July 15th we woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning to start our time study project. I was paired with Fernando and as we were shadowing our woman prospect, he was trying to convince me that it was Thursday, while I thought that we were still two days behind. I guess when you are enjoying the moment, time goes by as if it never existed.
We were conducting this time-study experiment to calculate the rate at which it takes one person to collect water, considering the following factors : distance to source, elevation to source, type of source and quantity/quality of water. In the long run, if we are able to determine how much water people use at the rate that they use it, we will be able to see the long term health affects water creates on the human body and then find a way to prevent it. On average one household collects water twice a day and they usually go around 5am and 1pm. Since their was a large amount of time in between, Fernando and I started to converse. I told him about my time here, in Honduras so far and what I have learned. From the moment I came here I felt a jubilant sensation. This country was filled with happiness and pride. I also admired how close nit the communities were and how they were always willing to help each other. Fernando told me that the downside of this admiration was that most major companies take advantage of the people and try to brainwash them into believing that they were not “real” Hondurans if they did not purchase their product. It was sad to hear that the people were being confused by Honduran pride and Honduran obligation.
Although this week went by quickly, It was definitely an eye opener for me. Now I can admit that when I was back home, I was greedy and ignorant to the world wide issues surrounding me. I always brought material items under the oppression that I need it, but in reality it was more along the lines of want. There was three girls, all of which were sisters, waiting to go to school one morning. The oldest girl was twelve and the youngest one was seven. I asked the oldest sister if they had eaten anything for breakfast and she said “no”. It was now 5pm and they still have not eaten all day. Not once have I almost gone through an entire day without having a hot meal in my stomach. I realized that I take a lot for granted, and should be grateful for the little things in life. Carmen and myself agreed that the next time we visit the village, we will bring a small meal for each of them.
In addition, I am also starting to pick up Spanish! Carmen, Diana, Ana Laura and even Fernando said I was getting better. He said that he could even hear the accent at the end of some words. This simple yet meaningful compliment made my day! 🙂 Learning to comprehend and speak Spanish is a form of communication and with communication you can build relationships with the people. This is my goal!
This weekend we went to la playa con Alex, Ana Laura and Fernando. It was really fun, relaxing, and just a bonding experience for all of us. The Honduran students took us to an open party and they were playing reggae and reggaetone. I learned how to do the Honduran dance, which is called the “Ponta”. Ponta is a dance where you switch you hips back and forth continously to a fast rhythm. I think I am going to make this dance popular in the United States too!
-Jojo
July 11, 2010
This weekend we actually saw the output of our labor. Our Bajareque pour-flush latrine finally started to take shape. We finished the overlaying foundation which was filled with stone and cement mix (that contained limestone, sand, cement powder and water). We also added the four bamboo post to each corner and two bamboo supports for the roof. It was really exciting to see our progress for the first week of construction.
We have been working diligently nine hours a day, everyday and I am exhausted. However, I know that my labor is not in vain. This week also included my first time using a latrine. It was the neighbor’s of our project host and it was relatively nice. It was a pour-flush latrine as well, and the only problem was that they used a curtain as their privacy door but it did not cover the entire door space so I awkwardly thought that people were looking at me. That was an experience!
The Honduran students are really nice and I could not ask for a better group. We are starting to become really close to each other and we recently went our for dinner and had ice-cream afterwords. I had a lot of fun! And even though we are from two different parts of the world, we still have a lot in common.
On Friday Dan and I wrote a detailed procedure list, step-by-step, on how you properly construct a bajareque pour-flush latrine. It was hard to summarize our steps because we made some minor mistakes and it need to be very detailed but we finally got the hang of it. This week we will try and finish our latrine and then get started on our water monitoring report. I hope it goes well!
-jojo
July 4, 2010
(Happy Independence Day)
The first couple of days are always the hardest because they always seem to throw all of this information on you that covers the entire project, and expect for you to remember all of it within an hour. That is exactly how I felt when I sat for a 3 hour long introduction lecture in Spanish about Water for People and our project we will doing in Honduras. However, despite the time first days are the most important. The first day is where we declare our goal, and establish the necessary steps that will help us reach our destination.
We met the four other Honduran engineering students, and they seem enthused and ready to work with us! The first day, we explained our time study experiment to the Honduran students. This time study experiment is for another team of Electrical and Computer Engineers at Lafayette who are trying to design a program that demonstrates how long it takes a person(s) to collect water, how much water they collect and what the water is used for. After we went through the major details of the time study, we then played “ice breaker” games to get to know each other better. They are all cool! 🙂 In the afternoon, we visited two rural villages that Water for People placed projects in consisting of a pour-flush latrine and a compost latrine. The latrines were an upscale compared to a regular latrines people usually have. They were in good condition and one of the latrines had a sink, ceramic seat and an urinal. This is good feedback, because we now we know that the projects were successful.
It was amazing to see that one of the household members built their own dry pit latrine by using local materials. The foundation was tree branches, the roof was bamboo/wood and the curtain was a plastic sheet to secure privacy. This experience showed me even though people to do have any monetary possessions they are still very resources, and make use of what they have. I also learned that for the composting latrine the two chambers that are used to store the urine and the solid waste (feces) went back into the environment like a recycling circle. They sat the urine out in the sun for 4 days to kill the pathogens and then used it as a fertilizer on the plants. They did the same thing for the solid waste and waited for it to decompose.
The second week we started designing our pour-flush latrine with the earth architect Victoria. After we got our design of the latrine(which was going to be primary made of bamboo, due to cost and weight) we started to plan/manage our steps that we need to take each day in order to completely finish the construction of our very own latrine (It was very difficult because the numbers and dimensions were constantly changing so we were always doing the process all over again until it was finally right) Now I cannot wait to actually start constructing the latrine!
Wish me Luck!
-jojo
June 25, 2010
“OMG” it is the day before we leave and that is all I can say! I think it is finally starting to hit me. Saying my last goodbyes to my family and friends led to my imagination dispersing into all the possibilities that could happen . I am going to Honduras! I am filled with happiness, excitement, anxiousness, and fear. This experience will only occur once in my lifetime, and I know that I will never forget this trip. When I tell people where I am going they all for some reason reply the same way, “That is great! This experience will change you are a person. Open your eyes and broaden your horizon.” If they are right, I guess the only question is in what way?…
I am ready to find out! HONDURAS HERE I COME!!!
Before I left my oldest sister, Christina wrote me a letter, and I could not help to share it because it touched my heart and I know I could not have said it any better :
Ever since I can remember, you have been this daring, insightful, and
dynamic little girl. Now you are all grown-up, actually growing-up,
continuing to further develop and mold those qualities into something you
can call you own. Today and for the next few days that development will
occur in an unfamiliar land-Honduras, but a familiar place- your heart.
This experience will be one of uncertainty yet purpose, fear yet faith,
frustration yet joy, defeat yet determination, and most importantly
routine yet renewal. In spite of the daily routine, your heart will
constantly be renewed- filled daily to the overflowing as you continuously
seek righteousness(act of morality or justice) in improving the lives of
others.
-jojo
June 20, 2010
This project is harder than I thought! The research is highly intensive and in depth; and the simple notion of gathering information is starting to become more complex. This week our group decided to split and work on two different projects. The first group focused on constructing a time-study experiment, while the second group started the main project (which is to evaluate the capital cost and environmental cost of improved latrines). I was placed in the second group.
Currently I am researching the improved sanitation technologies, which include the traditional pit latrine, ventilated latrine (VIP), pour-flush latrine and the composting latrine. I was determining the materials that were needed/required for construction, during usuage, and anal cleansing material for each system. In addition, I was also appointed to research the capital cost of the different materials used to construct these latrines.
As the days progressed, I realized that the task that I have assigned myself was too broad for an individual to attack by his/herself, therefore I decided to just focus on the traditional pit latrine. To make this project easier and better organized, I decided to breakdown the latrine into 5 main components: superstructure, mound, floor, base and the pit. As I researched thoroughly through these five components, I ran into multiple problems. The first problem was which material I should actually consider into the research paper. Their were at least three different types of materials you could use to build one section of the latrine. The second problem was the cost. It was hard to find a reliable, up-to-date, and respectable website that listed the materials based on their prices. Hopefully next weekend I will be able to overcome this minor obstacles and solve the problems at hand.
We are leaving this Saturday, and I am very excited! (I think I have butterflies in my stomach already) I just came back from the grocery store, so that I could stock up for the trip we face ahead of us. Lets just say I brought a lot of bug spray and granola bars!
-Jojo
June 15, 2010
For the first week we discussed the inaccessibility of water and sanitation systems in Honduras and other developing countries throughout the world. After the first couple of days of discussions, I realized how much I took for granted. UNICEF reports that 1.5 million children die every year from unsafe water and sanitation. In addition, 2.5 billion people lack access to ample sanitation. The essential nutrients of life that have always seemed tangible to me are out of reach to many others.
I know what you are thinking, it is just water right? Wrong. A majority of the activities that we perform throughout the day uses a large quantity of water. For example water is used for cooking, washing, drinking, bathing, washing utilities and for sanitary purposes. Water is an important source that every human being needs in order to survive. Due to this, I believe that water is a public good and everyone should have the right to clean water.
In addition, these discussions also opened my eyes to the long term affects inaccessibility of water and sanitation can have on one person. In most of the developing countries, primarily women have to walk long distances to retrieve water. Due to this, their education and physical health are endangered. Therefore, this project means much more to me than just numbers and calculations. My actions can change the life of another. I cannot wait to get started!
– Jojo