It’s amazing being back in the Philippines, there’s no better alarm clock then the crow of a rooster at 5 am. Today was really a day of connection, from meeting community members, to our contractors, to getting to know my project members. At breakfast we enjoyed some fresh baked bread and shared a love for coffee. We met with the Water Council and Capitan Nonie in the morning, to go over our goals while we’re here and to ensure that everyone understood our expectations from them. It was great seeing new and familiar faces, and enjoying dome snacks together afterwards. We then split, one group going to the bank and the other inspecting the construction progress. Delving into the community helped us understand more about how they live and their appreciation for our help.
After meeting up and getting lunch, we me with our contractor to review what we will be able to build while were here and understand some of his design choices. He’s been of great help, considering our design and materials and helping us make changes so that our system can be more easily maintained for the community. Tomorrow we’re heading out to the site with him to see if we need to go over what we’re planning and looking forward to seeing this design come to life.

Maija Griffioen