As we drive up the highway cut through the Ecuadorian cloud forest, we are reminded of the last project installed a few months ago along this road near Pallatanga. While proposing a water installation to this indigenous community of one thousand Quichue Indians, we asked, “Where are the bathrooms?”
We have NO bathrooms!”, they responded. We knew in an instant that any effort to improve health and hygiene in this community would need to include “sanitation”. Not just the bricks and mortar, but some serious education about “why” they need restrooms in this community. Once again, in our efforts to spread clean drinking water to the world, we find ourselves going down a slightly different path: i.e. sanitation. It is quite inexpensive to build adequate sanitation facilities and this contributes equally to the prevention of parasites. How many of these people and children in this community have parasites? “All of them”, the doctors say. As we began our installation of the water room for their new purification system, we began construction of their first pair of men’s and women’s restroom. First lesson in our education class: wash your hands after using the bathroom. Once again, what we take for granted in the United States is life changing revelation in the poor indigenous communities of Ecuador.
