Background

San Rafael is a self-managed, Amazonian farming community striving toward sustainable development. It is located on the riverbanksof the Amazon about 18 miles from Iquitos in Northeast Peru. The residents, about 450 people, are mainly mestizos (people of mixed race ethnicity) who are aware of the forest's great ecological importance as they have notions of reverence and respect for nature inherited from the tribal ancestors. Inhabitants of San Rafael make their living fishing, cultivating plot gardens, making handcrafts and recently through ecotourism.

A drinking water treatment and distribution facility already existed in the village. However, the system was functional only during a very short period of time during the year. In the dry season, the Amazon River recedes a great distance and the community pumping system could reach the water. Additionally, the quality of water was not known.

Our chapter has committed to working with the community of San Rafael to find longterm engineering solutions to water,
sanitation, and other problems.

Project Summary

In Summer 2008, FAMU FSU EWB (5 students and 2 faculty advisors) travelled to San Rafael to implement a solution consisting of an extension to the water intake coupled with a stronger pump. Water quality testing and health surveys conducted by the group showed that the poor quality of the
water was having a negative effect on the overall health and well being of the village.In the Summer of 2009, FAMU FSU EWB returned to San Rafael to promote sanitation and health awareness among the community’s schools through educational workshops and also to test the soil and record measurements and conduct other calculations that are necessary for the construction of latrines that will take place next summer.

 

 

 

2008 Health Survey Summary
2009 Project Presentation

Project Goals

Some of our organizations goals are to improve sanitation and health awareness among the rural community, provide easy access to safe sustainable drinking water for the people of San Rafael, the construction of latrines to improve the health condition of the community, rebuilding a bridge to reestablish a connection to the whole village, a refrigerated pharmacy to allow for the storage of temperature sensitive medications , and maintenance and upkeep procedures in order to keep all engineering solutions working properly.

Project Components

The project will consist of the following:

4.0 Health and Sanitation Awareness and Improvement
The project will conduct various workshops on Hygiene and Sanitation Education to both adults and children. It will develop various pamphlets, posters, educational materials, and presentations in order to promote a sanitary lifestyle among the community.

4.1 Community latrine Construction
This will be a multiple phase project that will first consist of assessment for finding the best locations based on a number of variables that the team will have to evaluate. The second phase of the project will consist of construction of latrines, in orderfor the community to have access to sanitation facilities for proper disposal of wastes.

Impact of Project on Community

Many diseases in developing countries are the cause of lack of sanitation systems and clean water in the community. FAMU-FSU EWB conducted many health surveys that stated that the lack of latrines forces many of the villagers to defecate on the bare ground, the creek, or dig a hole in order to dispose of human wastes. Also due to the lack of educational workshops on sanitation and hygiene the villagers will drink and cook with the water from the local creek or river without knowing the negative impact that this will have on their health. The community is also forced to access a part of the village through a bridge that is extremely dangerous to cross due to its quality and age and its need for structural repair. FAMU-FSU EWB believes that with hard work and dedicated engineering students it can help the village of San Rafael address all these issues and help them come a step closer to a sustainable and healthy life style. Through educational sanitation workshops, cleaner water, latrines, and other issues FAMU-FSU EWB hopes to have a long term effect on the village and hopes that it will influence other villages close by to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Every project done at San Rafael will be in cooperation with the village because we hope to provide the people of San Rafael with the training necessary for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle long after FAMU-FSU EWB’s agreement with the village is over.