One of the most important things we do at Agua Viva International, is Education. Like my wife, Nancy, says, if we bring them pure drinking water but they continue to drink water out of the garden hose laying on the ground, our pure water will do little good.
So, we must educate. Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, says that women are raising the children in these indigenous communities but they are largely un-educated. We must train the women in these communities so that they can teach the children. Now, that will raise the standard of living. This concept makes our program sustainable.
After Agua Viva returns to the United States, our Educators can keep on training…. Continuing to raise the standard of living long after we have returned home. We also model “gender empowerment” and we teach good sanitation and we provide meaningful leadership positions for women in their villages.
When our Educators graduate and receive their certificate, we can rest assured that they understand the four uses of water, good hand washing skills, good bottle handling techniques, and basic “germ warfare.
