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| © U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Mangelinkx |
| Celia with her water tank. |
This morning we were up early to visit the homes of families participating in a couple of different projects that UNICEF and its partners are working on in this region of Brazil. One project that is changing the lives of families here is the Million Water Tanks project - an initiative of the government, UNICEF, and other partners to provide the materials and training to families to build and maintain their own water tank that would provide them with water for cooking and drinking during the 8 months of the dry season. The tank filters and collects water during the rainy season that can sustain the family during the harshest months of the year. We met Celia, who participated in the training and now has the ability to provide her family of 6 with water, saving her the time of collecting water from the well - a task that could take up to 4 hours for some families here.
We also visited, Maria, who participated in a program that provides families with goats and training to care for them. Through the program, Maria has begun a breeding program that has provided her family with enough income to purchase additional acres of land and a new home in their community.
We returned to Salvador this evening and are resting up for more visits in the morning and our trip to Rio. I will write again tomorrow evening. Please post your comments and questions!