Mar '23 Project Status Update: Monte Castillo's Clean Water Impact

Our Planning and Engineering team has been hard at work this past month working with the governing bodies and individuals whose approval we need to get clean water to the 1,000+ people in Las Mercedes KM11. 

We’ve still placed Cerro de Leones’s clean water solution on hold to expedite the advancement of Las Mercedes KM11’s solution, but we hope to re-initiate efforts on that project soon.

In LMKM11, in order to run our proposed pipeline from the contaminated water source to the treatment system situated in the center of the community, VAVV must obtain approval from local landowners whose property the pipe would run underneath. There are just two landowners whose approval we need and, this past month, we were able to secure our first verbal approval! With this success, the team hopes to secure the second approval in the upcoming weeks. 

The team is applying pressure to the Piura Regional Government day in and day out to ensure the project’s sustainability and success, and we’re so excited to finally be very near to beginning construction to bring clean water, empowerment, and prosperity to the people in Las Mercedes KM11!

To see the full impact of what sustainable, clean water can do for a community, we can look just a few miles away in Piura, Peru at the community of Monte Castillo. Before our work in this community, the 7,000+ people living there had no real other options but to use and drink brown and highly contaminated water from the irrigation canal that strongly resembled chocolate milk in color. However, once True Water and True Life was flowing in Monte Castillo, they could finally drink clean water to the benefit their health and overall quality of life.

Recently VAVV, conducted a comprehensive post-project impact assessment in Monte Castillo in which we surveyed 140+ households to get a representative sample of the true impact. The first synthesis of some these results can be see below. We are continue to compile pre-and-post project analytics. A full comprehensive report summarizing the many impacts of our work in Monte Castillo will be published within the coming month. In the meantime, celebrate in the already extremely positive results spotlighted below.

Now, three years after VAVV empowered Monte Castillo with clean water, the results are astounding. Whereas before, 84% of respondents experienced chronic, water-related health issues, now only 13% experience chronic, water-related health issues. Over three years, the community was able to rid 71% of all chronic waterborne illnesses simply because of reliable access to clean water, which not only directly improves those individuals’ quality of life, but even spreads to those around them! 

Additionally, we asked community members, on a scale of one through five, how much have their water-related chronic issues decreased since our project. The results were amazing, with 0 respondents saying they experience daily issues, and a vast majority reporting absolutely no issues.  

Positive developments like this are exactly why our organization exists. At VAVV, we know that these health benefits give rise to higher levels of opportunity and advancement, especially for such underserved communities. Your support makes it possible for us to continue empowering health and prosperity for those who deserve better. Become a “Visionary” and subscribe to our Contact List to watch as we transform more and more communities around the globe!