Promote health and safety to the community of Esperanza through the free installation of water filtration system.
Summary:
The Engineers for Community Service (ECOS) is a student organization of the Ohio State University that started its engineering community services since 2004. One of our major projects was at the Montana de Luz, an orphanage house for HIV/AIDS stricken children at Honduras. Since then, the organization has been reaching out to other local and international communities to achieve our mission that is “To promote life-long professionalism via educational experiences through local and international community service projects (ECOS, 2016). We assist different communities with the advances in technology and promote improvements for electrical and other engineering aspects. One of our successful projects in Montana de Luz was the installation of water purification system that provides the children at the orphanage with clean and safe drinking water.
In light of our contribution of alleviating the conditions of the orphanage of Montana de Luz, we are willing to offer our dedication and services to help your orphanage in Esperanza. We can start at the installation of water filtration system for the provision of clean and safe drinking water to the children. I believe that this initiative can greatly contribute to the general welfare and health of the children at your care. We at the ECOS are equipped with the knowledge, education, tools, and skills for the successful implementation of this plan. With your approval of our proposal, we can immediately start the first steps of the installation process.
Introduction:
The crisis for water is a serious problem of our planet that caused deaths of hundreds of children every year. Despite the fact that the Earth is composed of about 75% water, only about 1 to 3% of that water is suitable for the consumption of humans. Clean water is actually scarce in most of the developing countries. Most of the people in the developing nations don’t have access to clean water. There are around 500,000 children worldwide that die due to poor sanitation and drinking of unsafe and contaminated water. About of the people that are hospitalized are due to water related diseases. Most of these patients come from rural areas and orphanages. Most of the orphanages use municipal water systems that can be contaminated with micro-organisms causing serious problems in health for the children. The shallow water that people collect water are actually open sources for feces, parasites, and other contaminants (Uryadi’s Village,nd). Some of the water-borne diseases that may infect people include typhoid fever, cholera, and other diarrheal diseases. These diseases can actually be prevented if people drink safe water.
The installation for water systems in the communities of the developing countries is hard to implement due to financial constraints. There is a need for high capital investments for these countries to provide clean drinking water to their citizens. However, the installation of water filtration systems is very feasible especially in small communities and orphanages. There are various types of water filtration systems such as the sand filters, hollow microfiltration systems, and the ceramic water filters. These systems for water filtration do not have high cost and they are easy to use as well. These systems are able to remove bacteria that may cause contamination to the water (Conor, nd).
Proposed Tasks:
We at ECOS will perform the following tasks for the process of installation of water filtration system at your orphanage.
In order to identify the water filtration system appropriate and planning of the installation, we will have to assess the location. We will need to visit the actual site and look for the best location where the water filtration system can be put up. We will identify the needs and requirements for the project planning and implementation. We need to research on the source of water in the area and test for the quality of water for identification of the type of water filtration that should be put up. Part of the research is to identify the common sickness that people experience in the area to understand the level of water contamination and plan for the prevention of these contaminations.
As soon as the details and requirements for the water filtration system are identified, we can plan for the installation process. We can also design for the best water filtration system to be put in place considering the current water quality, best location, and capacity of the system. Design would include the accurate dimensions, expected output, and process of the filtration system. Furthermore, the materials, equipment, timeline, and the costing for the project can be identified.
The final design and the determination of the materials and cost would give way to the chronological execution of the project. The installation of the water filtration system would include all engineering and other related aspects such as the excavation, transfer of materials, piping, electrical, and other finishing touches. There are also trial runs as soon as the water filtration system has been erected. The water that would come out of the water filtration system should be tested to ensure that the quality of water from the source has improved and that the water for human consumption is already free from bacteria and other contamination.
As soon as the installed water filtration system has been finalized and ready for use, we will give free trainings and education to the people in the community. The water filtration system needs to be manipulated and controlled correctly to ensure that it will function properly for a long period of time. We would assign point persons from the community to be in charge with the proper operation and maintenance of the unit. Other details such as the consumable materials, basic troubleshooting, and cleaning procedures need to be turned over to the community.
Schedule:
Figure 1 shows the timeline of the tasks for the project.
Figure 1: Timeline for Water Filtration System Project
Experience:
ECOS has already successfully implemented similar project in the Montana de Luz orphanage. The water filtration system that we have put up has greatly improved the health of the children at the orphanage. Their access to clean and safe water has reduced the number of hospital incidences that are related to water borne diseases.
Conclusion:
The source of clean water for drinking for children is critical for orphanage institutions. There is a need for Esperanza to provide clean water for children to prevent them from getting sick and even from dying. The water filtration system proposed is truly beneficial for your community. With your permission for the project to be started, we are ready to extend our knowledge and skills for the good of the future of the children.
References:
Conor, P. “Water Filters: The Key for Clean Water in Developing Countries”. Accessible through http://www.pitt.edu/~ckp8/trends.html
ECOS. (2016). Engineers for Community Service. The Ohio State University. Columbus:Ohio.
Uryadi’s Village. (nd). “Clean Water”. Uryadi’s Village.
