Aqueduct Update

So no, I didn't die after the last post once I was out of the hospital. I've been completely healthy ever since. The reality is that my life for the past few weeks hasn't really been that exciting and there really hasn't been anything to blog about...until now.

We got turned down for our latest grant proposal. We waited for about a month on what seemed like a done deal. The lady at the foundation we met with seemed pretty encouraging and confident that we would get the money we needed, but it didn't turn out that way. She called and basically said we don't fit in their budget for this year, but that we could try again next year.

Now I'm in Santiago working on another grant. And guess where the money comes from? Yep, that's right, all my lovely blog readers and friends and family back in the states. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this as my friends and family already do so much for me and I didn't want to have to beg for money. But, it will probably be one of the only times in your life that you could donate money and actually see the physical results. All of those who donate will be treated to regular updates on my blog about how construction is going (including pictures).

I just finished the grant and I'm submitting it today, so it should take a few weeks until the project is open for donations. When it is I will post the link and feel free to give whatever amount you can.

In total for this grant I need to raise $5000. I won't see any of that money until the complete $5000 is raised. Also, if you know of any rich people or have connections to any foundations or anything that like to support development projects, let me know of contact information that I can send a formal proposal too. In total the project's cost is around US$25,000.

I also filled out another grant to get around US$6,000 through some fund which supports development projects. Next Wednesday I'm going with my boss and some other volunteers to solicit money from the public water works company which has been supportive in the past. Then the week after that I have a meeting with people in charge of the European Funds, which have been given half of project budgets in the past.

So even though I haven't started the actual construction of the aqueduct, I'm still working, which many people in my community don't seem to understand. I constantly get asked when we are going to start, and I can't really give them a firm answer because I have no idea when we are going to get funding. My project partner totally understands the whole process, but he told me that many people were under the impression that I was going to come in and start construction fairly rapidly, which was never the case. But whatever. Peace Corps has completed I think around 50 aqueducts in this country, and this is a pretty normal schedule for the way things are going.