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Guyana Citizens’ Initiative (GCI), an entity registered under the Friendly Societies Act, in association with the Mocha Arcadia Barnwell Motivators and Action Committee implemented Rainwater Technology Projects at four sites in the Mocha/Arcadia and Caneview communities on the East Bank of Demerara.The projects, which began in October 2006 were designed to bring clean water to these communities and was centered on meeting seven of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).One of the completed (GCI) water trestles.GCI provided G$1, 847,835 while the Mocha/Arcadia Barnwell Motivators and Action Committee made in-kind contributions.The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Ecoclubs United, water connected NGO, provided technical and monitoring support to the project.Guyana has many unregulated areas that are not provided with water, electricity and social services because they have not been incorporated within official Local Government boundaries.Three of the four sites in the project provided with rainwater technology are regularized and one is not.This allowed a clear comparison of water and sanitation services in the area.The key beneficiaries of the intervention are poor elderly people; single parent families, some with more than five children; homes with large numbers of extended family members and families with disabled individuals (shut-ins).There are several families with very young childrenEight objectives were addressed by the project, entitled the Household Water Treatment Technology (HWTS) project.These were: the lack of safe drinking water and water for basic hygiene; addressing poverty alleviation and social inequality; community education on the value of water and good sanitation; gender parity; job creation (purification product); management skills development for accountability; environmental sustainability and community advocacy through well organized Water Users Associations.The Guyana Citizens’ Initiative Rainwater Technology Project in the Mocha/Arcadia and Caneview communities has been a huge success as measured by both the satisfaction of the participants and the health benefits that are being effected on a daily basis.Potable water is now available to 45 households with 167 men,NFL Jerseys Cheap, women and children at the four sites.Of these households, 23 families in the unregulated area of Caneview, which has 49 children,NFL Jerseys From China, are receiving clean water for the first time in eight years.Health benefits have been the most dramatic.Prior to GCI’s intervention,Brad Richards Red Wings Jersey, there was diarrhea in 21 of 23 homes in Caneview as water from the trench was used on a daily basis. This disease has been completely eliminated.The community, led by Roxanne Alleyne, has always been tightly knit.The building of the water trestle and the sharing of water among themselves have further strengthened the bonds of this community as the selflessness and discipline associated with this activity are traits to be emulated. In the regulated areas of Mocha/Arcadia, GWI provides service through a pump located in Arcadia. Water is provided between the hours of 5 am to 10 a.m. in the morning and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.According to sources, the water smells “bad”,Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey, is very discoloured as it has significant iron content, sometimes has dead insects and is very expensive ranging from G$ 6,000 to G$25,000 per year.Many of the customers of this service complain about paying for water they do not receive.Furthermore,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, their bills are estimated and bear no semblance to reality.Often, there is no water for weeks at a time. Billing is on an estimated basis and many families have been billed even though they have not received any water. It is one of the daily frustrations of life in the Mocha community.Problems from using this water include non-reliability,NBA Authentic Jerseys, sickness, discoloured clothing when used for washing, the smell and rankness of the water, the excessive iron content and taste.All of the residents either boil the water from GWI or use bleach, which often results in very unsightly foam. All of the residents resort to buying “bottled” water and this severely impacts on the welfare of the community because of the surrounding conditions of poverty. GCI’s intervention has resulted in readily available clean water at a nominal price.Overall, this project has dramatically improved the lives of those being served by the four trestles. This is especially true for working women and school aged children. Many parents did not go to work when their children were sick from water associated problems since daycare costs were prohibitive.Additionally, whereas many adults did not get to work on time and whereas many children did not attend school when there was water related problems, now both attendance and productivity have dramatically increased.The community has also benefited in many other ways.Significant capacity building elements were an essential part of the project and these are ongoing.Courses and seminars in Leadership, Small Business Management, First Aid and HIV/AIDS Life Cycle Management were provided, and training in testing water quality will occur through GCI, PAHO and Ecoclubs.Many of the skills were utilized during the Cricket World Cup as several of those in classes were employed during this event.Key to the sustainability of this project will be its ongoing management and the maintenance of the four trestles that are providing water. A separate Water Users Association manages each of the sites.The Mocha/Arcadia Barnwell Motivators and Action Committee will continue to be the main interface with GCI. This umbrella group has a representative from each of the four Water Users Association, on its Board.This will better facilitate coordinated community advocacy and other action initiated by GCI.GCI and each Water Users Association will jointly own each trestle. The four Water Users Association will have specific responsibilities for the daily operations of the site, preventative and ongoing maintenance, community education and advocacy on water and sanitation issues.During May and June, a very dynamic educational program will be initiated in schools, churches and organized groups in the community. This will be accomplished through GCI created “Water Fun Facts” and a poster competition.A key objective of the project was to introduce the community to Aqua Life, which is to be used for water purification purposes and to work with New GPC to create a commercial opportunity for the Water Users Association.Through the sale of this product, GCI would have created a few jobs in the community and given the broad applicability of the product in Guyana where floods and the availability of clean water are constant issues, this job creation activity could have be broadened over time as branding of the product is done and its effectiveness proven.In addition, through the monitoring requirements that come with it, GCI would have been able to assess the quality of water being used by the beneficiaries as well as to be able to monitor usage of water and compliance to basic governance requirements established by GCI and Water Users Association.