Earthcharter

The Deputy Minister of Education had the look of "Why am I in this meeting" when we mentioned sanitation, waterless toilets, and rocket stoves. He came alive instantly. "Those are projects we are interested in!" And then things really took off.

Thursday, 15 July 2010 00:45

The Deputy Minister of Education had the look of "Why am I in this meeting" when we mentioned sanitation, waterless toilets, and rocket stoves. He came alive instantly. "Those are projects we are interested in!" And then things really took off. Our big meeting today was with a Deputy Minister of Education to promote the use of the Earth Charter in schools. He was not interested at all until Victor showed him a letter to Earth Charter from his boss saying he supported the EC. Then his excitement level went to mild boredom. We then started explaining our overall project, he suddenly realized we were on the same page! The schools are trying to develop rocket stoves for their nutrition program, and they are using very expensive toilet systems. We had answers to both things, and we had a curriculum that supported teaching the students the importance of both. In a matter of moments he was arranging for us to meet with the coordinator for USAID, the Deputy for Curriculum, the Deputy for Teacher Education, and several others in the department. He offered to introduce us directly himself. Just what we needed, more work. Then I entered my childhood fantasy dream. We were walking through the teaming and narrow alleys of a market, looking for Levy, the Tin Man, whom we wanted to make the metal parts for the waterless toilet. We found him in an cramped square in the middle of the market where his workers were making buckets, metal trunks, and welding brackets for doors. Instead of a welding helmet, the welder used ordinary sunglasses! We then went off on a weaving trek through the market to a small cafe, where we began to negotiate the costs for the construction of the parts. Here I am, the large white guy, in the dusty streets of an African city, hunched under the torn umbrella over an outdoor cafe table, negotiating! Humphrey Bogart, eat your heart out! We met with a whole series of people getting prices for the first 10 waterless toilets to put in the first two villages. The cost was, of course, nearly twice what Victor thought, and it certainly means a lot more funds to raise, but we now had a target. Our last stop was at a waterless toilet manufacturing company, where we wanted to buy some of the toilet seats he uses in his own toilet, which made him think of competition. His toilets are way too large and expensive to ever compete with us, but I am not certain he thought so. At any rate, he agreed to give us a price for 10 of the seats. Tomorrow we leave for Zambezi. It is in extreme northwestern Zambia. And the Zambians tell us it is the poorest region, which is quite an accomplishment. We will be staying with Fr. Dominic and meeting with the local elders and chief to see if they want to become the third project. A Zambian bus ride for 5 hours, then a 4wd ride for the next 4 hours. My back will be killing me! But we suddenly have a new hope that was muted before; we now can see that there is government support, and perhaps even money, to get this sanitation project not only into the rural areas, but into the unapproved settlements. Perhaps good planning and dumb luck does work!

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