Power to the People!

Power to the People!A Mountain Community Studies and Installs Solar-Powered Water PumpsRandy Mont-Reynaud, PhD & Elisee Abraham, CEOIf Pigs Could Fly Helping Hillside Haiti*http://www.ifpigscouldflyhaiti.org/

*CEO= Chief Eternal Optimist* Ask me in Q & A about our name1

In the zone

Once upon a time, there was a series of mountains and steep hillsides, where people schleppedAnd schlepped.2

Water Hauling

Visitors especially were struck by the necessary hauling of water carried out, or up and down usually, but not invariably, by women and girls in the mountains of Haiti. Teams of visiting students had contests with local youth, boys and girls, andwill, you can imagine the results. No contest3

Water for drinking, Water for washing

Chores for women and tiny girls seemed relentless.4

and bathing

Not to discount the baby in the bath water.5

If Pigs Could Fly home team

Two northern Californian engineers and an ad-hoc IT fellow were excited to harness solar power to pump water, er, revolutionize part of the Third World. They wanted to know: how high, how far, how much, how long, how often. Disturbingly demanding quantifiable data, which our boots-on-the-ground team in Haiti set forth to determine.6

Race to the Ouache-Ouache

In an effort to find out how long it might take, we decided to have a race with prize money for 1m 2,3rd, 4th20 gds, 15, 10, 5 goude.7

Access to water elsewhere

In other areas, notably the flat lands, we have noted a variety of methods to access water. There are hand pumps, wells, and, in the city, distribution points, and there were blad in tent camps.8

Bos Eric had plans

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Two northern Californian engineers and an ad-hoc IT fellow were excited to harness solar power to pump water, er, revolutionize part of the Third World.9

The boots-on the ground team

Hiking, measuring, figuring, deciding. This was more arduous than it looks. 11

Access to water: Exploring, measuring

Leaving no stone, er, unturned.Intensive and extensive explorations, discussions to evaluate which spring to serve how many households, how do-able, ease of access, security concerns, steps saved. Our team scoured usually difficult if not hazardous terrain.12

Access to water: Exploring, measuring

We, myself included, walked the walk. How much water could a lily-livered, outta shape aging grandmother and not a natif-natalhow muc could I carry, and for how long?13

Going the Distance

Ok, well, it wasnt without some gratifying moments even a swim.14

WaterworksENERSA visits and we worry about woch

CEO of ENERSA speaks of his concerns

At least as important to us was to support a collaboration between city technicians and our rural moun ki travay te agricultural workers. Our small non-profit, "If Pigs Could Fly - Haiti" explores the terrain, in collaboration with ENERSA's technical crew, lead by Jean Ronel Noel. In these clips, we are with ENERSA, identifying a spring as a possible location for solar powered water pumps, to be installed summer of 2012, si Dieu vle. I am like sooo Not an engineer! Just, a calculating woman, but not an engineer.15

Solar Power to the People

We, or at least I, and members of the board, considered the educational and knowledge-sharing at least as key as any material benefits to the zone (which our organization had assiduously avoided but got carried away with the notion of solar power! 16

Collaboration Cutting Across Cultures: City, Countryside, Diaspora and Blan

Our CEO Elisee Abraham and Mesye Nelis, review the schematics and photos

Mesye Nelis will be part of the security team, checking the apparatus. He lives a quick jog away from the site(s) at Djon Djon and the Wash-Wash.18

Everyone crowds around.

We held community meetings, small team meetings, and considerable boots-on-the-ground operations to determine best locale, logistics of implementation, security, monitoring and maintenance. Mesye Nelis, children and neighbors look on.19

Where things stand now

Livin on a Prayer

Back to the drawing board. With our CEOs Solar powered laptop by candlelight. What are the priorities? After this 4 min. music video update, Ill take and ask questions. 20