In the fall of 2007 I was contacted by Ed Albrite who found our website on the internet. He was interested in networking with us because we were working in the same area of the Sierra Madres as they were and shared
similar interests. I was invited to join the group from Montana that was coming down the following February to work on an albergue being constructed there. An albergue is set of children's home for young boys and girls to stay at during
the week because it would be too far for them to have to walk to the school every morning and evening. This project was started by Tomas Bencomo of the Christian Missionary Alliance, Mexico.
Ed was interested in getting the film equipment I have down into the canyon village of
Guacaivo to show the Indians Christian
films. We were able to load the pack mules down with everything to show the Jesus Film: (generator, digital projector, sound system and dvd player) and made the 8-mile hike down into the canyon.
Hiking into the canyon for the first time with the pack mules.
On my second trip into the canyon I was asked if I could do the water system for the albergue that was being constructed there. This would involve getting the water down from a spring located high
above the village. This is the ideal situation when you have a water source located at a higher altitude than the village. There is no need for a pump, making this an inexpensive system to engineer. A large pila (cistern) was built just below the spring to hold the water.
To the left I am standing in front of the cistern for the albergue water supply. The picture to the right shows the village located about 300-350 meters below.
I took all the measurements and information I would need for when I would return in August to begin work on the system. I would need 350 meters of large of black water pipe to reach the
albergue below, plus all of the associated water fittings, valves and connectors. Everything would have to be brought in on pack mules.
The trip in August was during the rainy season making the river crossing very dangerous and difficult. The picture above shows us crossing the river on a small cable car. Everything had to be brought across
this way. The picture to the left shows some of the pipe being brought in.
On the August trip I was able to get the water down to the albergue, the showers working in one of the bathrooms and a few water faucets installed. Josh and Miguel are seen here getting the
toilets in place. This is the only facility of this type in the canyon that has high pressure running water for showers, sinks and toilets.
The
October trip
I was blessed to have Tim Sciutto come to the canyon with me to help
with the final installations of the water system. We were able to get the second set of showers and two double sinks installed for the kitchen.
Tim had a few leaks after hooking up some thin-walled tubing to the high pressure main water line coming into the Albergue.
Before we arrived in October, the children were having to wash their dirty dishes in buckets and
containers outside. Now they can wash them inside in one of the two sinks (see below pic).
There is another trip scheduled for November, but we will not be going on that trip. We do plan on going back in February and do some minor things like install inline valves to regulate the water
pressure on each of the water lines installed and possibly some rework of problems that no doubt will arise.
*Update! As of march 2009, there is now HOT water for the children to bathe in instead of the cold mountain spring water. This may not seem that
important to some, but you have to consider that before, these children had never seen or used a shower, much less hot and cold high pressure running water! The water for the two bathroom showers are heated by two wood burning water heaters.
We hope to have hot water for the kitchen sinks very soon.
