Mission Accomplished!

May 23, 2008

Today was the last day of work. The main project was to complete the screening of all windows in the bunkhouse. The screens were mounted with a staple gun and then some were secured with strips of wood. During the process, we ran out of staples and went looking for some in town. No stores had staples to sell. In the end, I was at an appliance store and the owner offered to give me half a box of staple and refused payment. He knew we were working in Manari and he wanted to donate the supplies.

Ricki Sheldon continues to have problems with the angio-edema. When she woke up this morning her face, eyes and lips were seriously swollen. I offered her a shot of epinephrine and she accepted. In 15 minutes she was in great shape. In an hour, she was starting to swell again.

Ricki also needed to go home today. So as I drove her to the Brazilian border, I stopped off at the hospital and had the medics take a look at her. She was given a prescription of prednisone, aspirin and anti-histamine. She was also given an anti-histamine shot and sent on her way. I suspect she will be in good shape soon and I look forward to getting e-mail from her that she has made it home safely.

As of today, our project is complete. It has been successful. I am still able to drink water out of the tap without getting sick. This site is now fully capable of supporting RAM medical teams and the volunteers that are part of such teams.

The men and women who have accomplished this task have done a phenomenal job. I look forward to working with each of them again soon.

Jim get's to fly

May 22 2008

Today has been another lazy day on the Savanna. The heat arrived early and stayed late. Soon after breakfast, Jim was on his way to meet Terrance at the airport. A pregnant woman who required a C-section was overdue and in need. Jim was excited and prepared to deliver if necessary. I knew it would not be necessary, but I always encourage the worst-case scenario mindset.

Jim should have returned by lunch, and when sunset was just a few hours away, it was time to make a call to find out what was happening. Jim and Terrance were getting a meal and relaxing after recently returning from the flight. The flight was delayed for hours due to poor weather at the pick up site. But the plan was also changing.

Before launching the flight, there were now two pregnant women requiring aeromedical evacuation. Then there was a call for a 4-year-old boy who had fallen from a tree and broken his arm. It was getting busy for this remote location. Jim was anxious to get flying.

In the end, the pregnant woman who required a c-section was found to have delivered the day before. The other pregnant woman refused transport. The boy with the broken arm was taken to Aishelton District Hospital and Terrance and Jim then flew a student nurse from Aishelton to Letham. The 17 year old woman was leaving for her first time and all the family was there to say good-by and Jim said they were all crying.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the kitchen was completed early in the day. I found time for a nap and for some reading (I am reading Three Cups of Tea.).

Additionally, Ricki has suffered some sort of allergic reaction and has been suffering angio-edema. This is an allergic reaction that is not as severe as anaphylaxis, but is still a significant problem. She has swelling over her eyes, face and lips. She has rashes on her torso and is generally uncomfortable. I have given her multiple doses of Benedryl and there has been little response. If she is not better tomorrow, I will give her an injection of epinephrine.

The evening ended with us all crossing the border to Brazil for dinner. Bo Vista is a Brazilian border town of about 8000 people. They have paved roads and streetlights. The people are friendly and the town is safe. Our cook, Zelda, is from Bo Vista and wanted to show us around the town.

Tomorrow, we will start making some screens to keep insects out of the rooms. There are no other projects planned. Saturday we will pack and Sunday we start the long journey home.

The Grand Opening!

May 21 2008

The workdays are slowing down as the project nears completion. We are continuing to make a kitchen in room 10. We are finding small tasks that are in need of completing. And we are looking towards our journey home.

While we flew in to Letham, our plan to leave is to 4WD to Georgetown. This will take about 12 hours (in good conditions) and will require us to cross a river on a ferry. Our plan is to leave at sunrise in Sunday, but we are now hearing that the ferry may not be operating on Sunday. We have received contradictory reports from reliable sources. We may find ourselves camping on the edge of a river and waiting for a ferry to arrive.

Today was also a day celebration for us. We planned a barbeque for this evening. Terrance and Diane came out early to learn about how to operate the various systems that are now part of Manari. In an effort to make it a bit special, I asked the team to do a through cleaning of the whole area. We mopped floors, through out the trash and rearranged the furniture in preparation for guests.

At 1700 guests started arriving. We had representatives from the local Red Cross, the Peace Corps, the hospital medics and administrators and friends of Terrance. There were nearly 20 people here. We barbequed beef, chicken sausage and hot dogs. Everyone was well fed and all were impressed with the work we have completed.

This was also an informal time to talk with the local hospital medics and administrators about some joint training. They have expressed an interest in sharing their knowledge in tropical medicine with us and have said that they believe we can offer them some valuable training as well. I expect to pursue this at a later date.

The evening was perfect. A full moon presided over the event. A cool breeze was gently fanning the fire pit. The conversation was great. There was effective networking, and plenty of food. I even had a small audience where I could publicly thank the team for their work and dedication to the project. I was disappointed that Vic, Arthur and Better were not around for the event. I am certain that everyone would have enjoyed meeting the people who designed the water system.

Terrance also let us know that he would be flying tomorrow to pick up a woman with a high risk pregnancy. She was due yesterday and is expected to require a c-section. He said we could take on of our volunteers on this flight. I have assigned Jim Trimby.

Jim is an EMT basic, but works in construction. While he is not likely to deliver a baby in flight (and it has happened on RAM flights), he was mentally preparing himself for the trip and any worst case scenarios. But Jim also was notified by satellite phone that his home has been broken into. He has been thinking about returning early due to these events. So as the evening ended, Jim’s mind was alternating between medicine and problems at home. But I could see that in the end, he was more concerned about a pregnant woman that he has never met, than he was about the belongings that are missing in his home. I am certain he will be on the flight in the morning with Terrance. I look forward to hearing about this medical evacuation when he returns.

Another Busy Day

20 May 2008

It’s been another busy day here in Manari. The water system remains in great shape. Our electrical system is in great shape. I am still drinking tap water, and I am in great shape. Our days now are spent fine tuning the site, fixing small leaks and organizing equipment. We have even connected water to the main ranch house.

A main focus for today has been to create a kitchen in room 10 of the bunkhouse. Jim Trimby suggested the idea. The kitchen in the ranch house that we are using is little more than a roof over our head. We have dogs and cats running through the place while we are eating. If we eat too late the bugs swarming over the light above the table tend to fall into our food. It is not pleasant to have to chase a live insect through your bowl of rice By making a kitchen in room 10, we can close the windows to reduce the insects and when we have screens we will be able to reduce even more bugs.

To accomplish this, Jim has cut a few holes through the brick wall and run some piping. I bought a new kitchen sink to install. Marc Bacaro Paul Mauresca have taken a old dresser and cut it down to fit into the kitchen area as well as cut a hole in the top to hold the sink. They added a few coats of paint and it is looking good.

Dave Batt and Ricki Sheldon have been the main force in getting our RAM sign painted. It received a second coat of paint today. They also took down the sign from the main road that pointed to Manari and have given that a fresh coat of paint. The signs will go up tomorrow.

We are also doing some last minute organizing and cleaning. I have been sweeping and moping and moving equipment in preparation for a small party tomorrow. We have invited a few people for a barbeque. It is an opportunity to show off the new facility. We will also be using that day to train Terrance and Diane on all the electrical, water and chlorination systems since they will remain in Guyana for a few more years. I have even written a small operations manual for them to use.

Tom Kamin Departs

19 May 2008

It has been a busy day that lasted well beyond sunset. Tom Kamin left for home today. He accomplished much while he was here. He and Jim were the major force in wiring the electrical outlets as well as building our battery storage area, mounting the solar panels and designing our RAM Center sign. I look forward to seeing him on another expedition.

Between dropping Tom at the airport and running shopping errands, I kept the truck in constant motion. I met with the person building our steel bars for the windows and they were not yet complete, so I had to return later in the day to see if they would be finished.

While waiting for Tom’s flight, Tom and I had lunch with Diane and Medics Marcos. Medics Marcos is the lead medical practitioner here in Letham. He is not a doctor, but operates in a similar fashion to that of a physician’s assistance or nurse practitioner. He trained for two years with the government and after completing training the Medics are assigned to remote regions to care for the people located in that area. He prescribes medication, sets fractures, sutures people and delivers children. He is a quiet man and I have been told that even when the clinic is busy, he always makes the patients feel as if he is never in a rush. I enjoyed meeting him.

In other news, Marc Bacaro was able to fly a medical mission with Terrance on the RAM airplane. A 13-year-old boy fell out of a tree and broke his leg in a rural village. Marc is an EMT, but works as a project manager. I could see from his face when he returned that he was excited about the mission. He was full on energy and it gave him an opportunity to experience one of the many activities that are part of RAM as well as understand how he facility may be used in the future.

At 1600, the bars were ready and I picked up the bars and the work crew to bring them out to Manari to install them on the building. It took a few hours, but the job was done. We now have one highly secure room where we can store equipment and supplies without worry of theft.

Rest Day

May 18

Today is Sunday and I have discouraged any work today. Despite this, Jim Trimby worked from sunrise to sunset. He does not like sitting around. By the end of the day we had electricity in all of the rooms in the bunkhouse. As for me, the only work I did was to check the chlorination residual.

Our residual was 2ppm. It was a bit high, but safe to drink. This was the second day in a row where our residual was acceptable. To mark this auspicious occasion, I took my water bottle to the water tap and filled it up. With no other filtering or treatment, I drank the water as a final test to see if the tap water is potable. If I get sick in the next 24 hours, we will know we made a mistake.

Much of the rest of the day was spent just hanging out at Manari. We spent many hours fishing for piranha in our swimming hole. A few days ago some local boys caught three of them at the hole. As for us, we spent an hour just figuring out where we might find some worms, then after digging up a good supply and baiting some hooks, our worms were mostly eaten by bait fish with us only catching a few of the bait fish. They were quickly eaten off the hooks without us getting any piranha.

The evening ended with nice dinner and we watched another DVD; The Last Castle. The team is in good spirits. Our worksite is in great shape. Our water system is phenomenal. It will feel good to finish this project.

Dinner and a Movie

May 17 2008

It is Saturday and we have started to slow down. Most of our projects are complete. The water continues to run. We have continued to use the drip chlorination system and have been adjusting the rate. All plumbing projects have been completed. We have electricity, power outlets, running water and flush toilets in every room. The leaks in the roof have been repaired. Tom and Paul even built a brick barbeque pit.

I continue to work with the chlorine system. We are finally starting to get residual chlorine in the system. What I have noticed is that since there is no water usage at night, there is a high residual (5 ppm). The level drops off during the day. I need to find if 5 ppm is safe to drink. I will call Vic later and ask his advice.

The team was invited to the Dadanowa Ranch for a Birthday party tonight. Tom and I stayed back and drove the others into town to catch a ride to the party. It is a four-hour 4WD ride in heavy rain. We left the team in Letham and we returned back to Manari.

As we arrived at Manari, I could see we were both thinking the same thing. The site was an absolute mess with tools and trash scattered everywhere. The breezeway looked like a permanent construction site. But it did not take long to get it looking good. Trash was disposed of in the trash pit dug by Paul Maresca. Tools and supplies are now being stored in the refurbished rooms. Even our cook, Zelda, picked up a broom and started sweeping the dirt off the breezeway and cleaning the tables and chairs.

During this time, Zelda told us that her daughter was turning 17 today and wanted to know if her daughter could come out the Manari and stay overnight. We agreed and made arrangements to pick her daughter up at the border (she lives in Brazil). With this in mind, Tom and I decided it was time to have guests at our newly refurbished home.

We went out to get some chicken and invite some guests. We invited everyone we know (all two of them). Jeff and Diane were both glad to join us for dinner and a movie shown on my laptop.

After a few hours, Jim and Mark returned unexpectedly. They did not go to the party because there was not enough room in the truck for everyone. So they pitched in started cleaning. Marc and Tom improved the fire pit so that we could cook chicken easier. Jim continued wiring electrical outlets and bulbs into the building. The pace was gentle and relaxed.

At 1600 it was time to head into town. Zelda and I drove to the border (in Letham) to pick up her daughter. Then we drove into town pick up Diane at the nurse’s quarters. That was followed by a quick stop to get some last minute groceries and we returned to the Manari.

Diane was given a tour of the facility by Stan Brock a few months ago. She could not believe the change in the condition of the site. At the nurse’s quarters, she has to turn a water valve off and on to get her toilet to flush (she usually just dumps a bucket of water in the toilet to flush it), but here in Manari, our toilets are in great shape. The hospital in Letham does not have running water, but we have it in Manari. In Letham, the power to the city is turned off at 0100 hrs. In Manari, we have power at all times.

Jeff Ware showed up soon after we returned to Manari. He has been slowly watching the progression of the project, but was also complementary about the condition of the site after we had cleaned it up. We have three large tables in the breezeway. Seven wooden lounge chairs are situated in the middle with the fire pit on one side and a chessboard between two chairs. On our main table, we placed a ceramic bowl filled with local flowers growing around the site. Our home was looking as good as any home in Letham. Jeff could not believe that we had accomplished as much as we have.

After sunset, we took a moment to sing happy birthday to Zelda’s daughter then sat down for chicken cooked over an open fire, French fries, noodles, watermelon and a bottle of red wine. Our team may have arrived in rustic conditions, but we are now living as good as anyone in the region. More importantly, this facility will now be able to be used by RAM for continuing medical missions.

The evening ended with a movie, Spy Games, on my DVD player. The fact that we can pause for a moment to enjoy an evening such as this proves the success of this team.

Our primary goal was to provide water. We have done this. We are now able to chlorinate the water, but it takes more work than expected. However, we still have chlorination and thus, the water is safe. When we leave, this site will not be perfect; but it will be in great shape and capable of sustaining long-term volunteers and multiple medical projects. This team has done a great job, and at the end of the evening, I find myself filled with pride to work with such individuals.

Back to square one

16 May 2008 Last night ended early and I was able to publish the blog early. Later that evening I went into to Letham to hire a man to build steel security bars to protect one room of the bunkhouse so that we can store supplies, tools and the solar panels if the site is uninhabited for a while. That meeting was followed by having dinner with a woman from the Peace Corps. Dinner and conversation were fine. I had an opportunity to de-stress from all that is going on and then I returned back to Manari. RAM has recently provided us with a 4WD truck while working here. It is a right side drive system and I have to use my left hand to change gears. That has been challenging. The drive to Manari is rough; and driving a 4WD, at night and in a thunderstorm in a torrential downpour is certainly a challenge. When I did arrive back at Manari, I was surprised to find the site completely dark. It was not late in the evening, so something must be wrong. When I pulled in, I was told that our third, and last, inverter was broken. I was not pleased. While asking questions, Ricki suggested I might want to know some other bad news. That news was that the pump was continuing to burn circuit breakers, we were down to two circuit breakers and at this time, the well was out of service for an unknown reason. I could not believe what I was hearing. Tom was concerned that some of his new wireing might have damaged the inverter. Dave was not certain what happened to the pump so he pulled it out of the well to check it, then installed again. The darkness seemed even darker and the thunderstorms rumbled in the distance. I know in the morning we would all be busy. I did not sleep well last night. I spent the whole night considering what was wrong and how it could be fixed. A few times I found myself sitting upright in bed and staring out the window waiting for the sunrise. At the first hint of light, I was out of bed and problem solving. The rest of the team was quick to follow. It seemed to me that everything was working find until we connected the solenoid in the system and the rains started. As for the inverter, It was old and since we did not have a wire brush to clean the terminals with, I just scratched it with a knife before installing it. I decided to start with the inverter and see if I could fix it first. The multi-meter showed that the batteries were good. However, when I connected the meter to the electrical connectors to the battery there was voltage drop. I disconnected the inverter and took a file from my letherman tool and filed to a shiny copper finish and reconnected. That was all it took. The inverter powered up and all was well again. For the well, I figured that the pump was new and not likely to fail. So I concentrated on all the various electrical connections. But before I could run the pump, I needed to pull and reinstall the well pump. Dave placed it the well, but did not push it down with a 60-foot length of PVC pipe. To get the pump to the bottom, it has to be pushed. Once that was completed we went to work on the electrical connectors. The solenoid was already disconnected, but we also disconnected the float switch and powered up the pump. It worked well and I left the pump on to fill the water tank. After a couple of hours, we hooked up the float switch and we still were without problems. Finally, I finished the connections with wire nuts and put a sealant in them to protect them from water. That was followed up by numerous wraps of electrical tape. Since completing this, we have had numerous downpours and we have had no problems. As for the chlorination system, I have simply let the chlorine drip slowly into the main tank via the IV dripper. We are finally starting to have some residual in the water supply, but we are still filtering the water. What was really amazing was that all of this was completed before we ate breakfast. The rest of the day has been used to finish various projects. Tom and Jim and now installing one light bulb and one power outlet in each of the 10 rooms. Some more repairs have been made on the roof. Some piping was leaking and was cut away and replaced. Ricki repaired a table with a chess pattern painted on it and then went to making chess pieces. A number of games were played and Paul Maresca seems to be best chess player of the group. The evening ended with a DVD played on my laptop. Terrance also arrived and invited the team to a birthday party at the Dadanowa Ranch. For RAM volunteers this is Mecca. This is the famous ranch where Stan Brock learned to be a cowboy. Most of the team will go to the ranch. I will stay back. Tom also wants to say back to complete a few things before he leaves. He leave on Monday.

No chlorination

15 May 2008

Dawn came early as it always does and at first light, I was on top of the water tower to check on the status of the chlorination system. It was still working. I replaced the macro dip system with the micro drip system to give me a system to finer tune our dosing. Unfortunatly, the micro drip system is slightly smaller and slipped out of the tube. Our smallest hose clamp was too big, so I secured it to the hose with wire tie and readjusted the drip rate. After making certain everything was secured, I decided to drain the tank so that when the tank was refilled, it would have properly dosed chlorinated water.

Marc, Dave and Ricki then went to work to move our water tank standpipe from the center of the water tank to the leg of the tower. This will make it more secure and less likely to be damaged. Tom is working on running power from the inverter to power lights in the kitchen and the bunkhouse rooms. Jim and Paul have started working on restoring water to the West wing of the bunkhouse. We broke a pipe earlier and had to shut down all of the water supply to that wing. Jim was able to cut away some of the pipe and seal it. So we have not installed some new valves and will have water to four of the five rooms.

Near the end of the day, I came back to check on the chlorination system. The first problem I noticed was that the micro drip had fallen out of the pipe and all of the bleach solution has leaked out of the bucket. The next problem I noticed was that the valve was no longer working and was stuck in the open position. There was already some corrosion on the device, so I was uncertain if it died due to corrosion problems or the 24-volt system. I suspect the latter. Later, Dave removed the solenoid and cleaned it up and was able to get it to actuate again on the 12-volt battery. The device was also very hot so it may have overheated. Simply put, it did not work.

Regardless, we remain without a working chlorination system and I am disappointed. We have worked extremely hard to make this happen. Had we made this work, we would have created an inexpensive dosing system that could have been copied in the region. While working on the project we realized that this was not simply about our own system but about this region’s water supply. When I return home, I will immediately start working on a system I can install and then I will return to install it. We will make this happen.

Still trying

May 14 2008

It has been another long day of work with quite a few frustrations. The day started at sunrise with some basic cleaning until the stores opened. The team broke up into groups to continue the various projects. Tom continued to work on the electrical systems and battery storage containment. David and Ricki teamed up to determine if there was a way they could connect the propane solenoid to our 24-volt system. I went shopping.

The first item on the list was for the chlorination system. I looked for other propane valves, but there were none. I looked for system that sucks gardening chemicals out through the garden hose; there was none. I looked for a 24 to 12 volt converter. There was none. I looked for a 110 to 12 volt converter and there was none. We are remote. The best buy I found today was chocolate. I bought some for everyone on the team.

On my way back from the store, our Suzuki ran out of gas. We were able to tow it back to Manari and get gas later. The next problem occurred while Tom was hooking up our newest inverter. This is an old 24-volt inverter loaned to us by Jeff Ware. While making the connection, there was a spark that ignited the battery and it exploded. Nearly half of the top of the battery disintegrated and flew all over the room. Tom was splashed with acid and had to jump into the shower.

After that bit of excitement, I had to go back out to the airport and pick up a package sent to me by Patrick De Groot in Georgetown. The plane was late, but eventually I made it back to Manari.

When I arrived I found David and Ricki had not moved any farther forward with their attempt at making the solenoid work. The night before they told me if they had a 12 volt light, they could wire it into the system and that would make the system 24 volt. But after returning with a light and a 12-volt car solenoid that they could also try to wire into the system, they still had not attempted anything. Instead they had disassembled the broken inverter and were about to cut out some resisters that they wanted to wire to the solenoid.

By this time, I had to come to the realization that we were simply not going to get a metered dosing of the chlorine system. I let them know I was now making a command decisions to cancel this project and asked them to simply build a platform above the water tank were we could slowly drip bleach into the tank and hope the concentration would be appropriate. An hour before sunset, the platform was complete and bleach was dripping into the tank.

I was not happy about having to give up on the system, but it seemed we were going nowhere and there are other projects that needed to be completed. I was resigned to this and even called Stan Brock of RAM to let him know that we would not have a chlorinated water system.

So as dusk was setting and everyone was gone running errands, I sat looking at the solenoid and realized that at this point, I was no longer worried about destroying it. In a remote area, you have to be very careful about everything and every resource must be protected. On the other hand, sometimes in the jungle, you have to jump into black river and just see what happens. So I wired up the solenoid and the car light and connected them to the 24-volt system to see what would happen. I expected it would fry and all would be over. Instead I was surprised to find it worked.

I called David over to show him and within minutes we had tools, wires and the solenoid at the top of the water tower and started to wire the system. We finished it up by flashlight, but it is working. I cannot believe it is true, but it is working. By morning, we know if it simply took a longer time to fry this system or not. We will also know if we can really accurately adjust this system for our uses here at Manari.

The next few days will be the test of the system. In two days time, I plan to be drinking this water as the final test. I hope I remain healthy.

Still no chlorination

13 May 2008

Today has been an interesting and frustrating day. We were up early to get working. Paul brought a new inverter with him and I was anxious to install it. We were also excited to try the chlorination system that had been designed. After reading the instructions for the inverter, I took the time to install is correctly and after connecting the last wire from the batteries, it made a bright spark, followed by numerous loud pops followed by billows of smoke. Jim Trimby (who arrived later in the day) said that, “inverters are powered by compressed smoke. When they lose their smoke, they just stop working.”

I was not quite as humorous about the event. This is an expensive piece of equipment. After taking a hard look at what I had done, I realized that I had wired the inverter for a 24-volt system and it was meant for a 12-volt system. It completely fried the system. It was completely my fault. I was devastated by my mistake. It was not only a costly mistake, but I doubt we can replace it before I leave.

I decided that the next best place to go would be to assist the others in getting the chlorination system working. After quite a few hours of pipe assembly and discussions of hydrodynamics (of which I know little) we found that our ideas simply did not work. Mark Bacaro had an idea where we run a plastic hose inside the larger inlet pipe with tiny holes cut into the plastic pipe. The fluid running over the smaller hose would then pull out the bleach and give us chlorination. I did not think it would work but I suggested he try it. It failed.

After a fairly dismal start to the day, it was time to head back out to the airport to pick up Jim Trimby. Jim is a construction worker and is a member of the RAM Airborne team. He is also an EMT-B and a climber. He has been a friend of Ricki and suggested she volunteer with SOAR.

On the way back to Manari, I ran into our pilot, Terrance. Terrance told me about a patient in Aishelton who was being considered for medical evacuation. He knew little about the patient but said that they were concerned because she was pregnant and had swelling of her feet, hands and face.

This sounded like a possible case of pre-eclampsia. This is a toxicity of pregnancy that is characterized by swelling of hands, feet and face, as well as headaches, visual disturbances and hypertension. When the process progresses to full eclampsia, the patient seizes and the lives of both the mother and the fetus are in danger. I suggested that she be immediately evacuated to Letham and that she might need a magnesium sulfate IV drip for the trip. I offered to fly with him and he agreed.

So I quickly drove back to Manari to drop of Jim, and then headed back into town. I stopped by the hospital where they gave me IV solutions, needles and some vials of magnesium sulfate. Then I went to the airport to meet Terrance.

The flight to Aishelton was about an hour long. The patient was waiting at the airport. As we approached the dirt runway, there were numerous cows on the runway, so Terrance buzzed the airfield to scare the cows away then turned around and landed.

Assessment of the patient showed found a 14 year old pregnant woman who did not know how long she had been pregnant, but looked as if she was at least six or seven months along. Her blood pressure was fine and she denied any visual disturbances. However, I decided to start a IV on her and have medications available in case she started to seize. Then we loaded her up and took her to Letham. It was an uneventful flight.

I arrived back at Manari just before sunset. Our cook had returned (yeah!). We still did not have chlorination and the inverter was still broken. However the team had come up with a new idea for the chlorination system.

They have a 12-volt propane shut off solenoid that they intend to install at the tank. Instead of running propane through the solenoid, they will run pure bleach. It sounds simple. However, the power at the tower is 24 volts. I am also concerned that the bleach will quickly cause corrosion to the brass interior and the solenoid may fail quickly.

So as night has fallen, David Batt and Ricki Sheldon have been looking at Ohms law to figure out how to reduce 24 volt to 12 volt. To make it more challenging, the DC power wire to the tank is a 150-foot length, so the power will have already dropped so they will have to consider that when finding a way to reduce the voltage. Tomorrow is sure to be another day of intellectual conversations about resistance instead of hydrodynamics. If we needed to build a traction splint from scratch, I would have it done in a second, but much of this work is beyond my expertise.

Near the end of the evening, I called a friend of mine who is a scientist; Ralf Moir. I was hoping I would be able to give him some of the specifications of the solenoid we are planning to use and see if he could determine if it would be possible to hook it to a 24-volt system. I was surprised to find he had been following the blog and was aware of what we are doing. His suggestion was to hook up two of these12-volt solenoids in series and that would solve the problem. If we had two solenoids, we would do it.

I mentioned his solution to the rest of the team and they thought it was a good idea and started to expand upon it. They are now considering removing a 12-volt component out of our 4WD Suzuki and running that in line with the solenoid and seeing if that will work.

As for me, I am willing to try a few more unconventional ideas from the team. I have promised them that if we get chlorination running, that I will buy steaks for the whole team. I hope to be having a steak dinner soon.

PS – Message for Ralf Moir. You requested more detailed information about our system. Here it is.

We have four 185-watt solar panels running at 24 volts into a 30 amp solar controller. We have eight 12 volt deep cycle batteries connected in a 24-volt system that are also connected to the solar controller. The load from the solar controller is a 24-volt load that runs directly to the submersible water pump in the river water intake pipe. A float switch is wired on one side of the power circuit and is currently installed in the water tank. The system was designed as a 24-volt system due to concerns of voltage drop on a DC power run that exceeds 300 feet (almost 350).

Water is pumped from the river approximately 150 feet to a water tower with a total climb of about 60 feet. The system from the river to the water tank is ¾ inch PVC pipe. The water tank is 400 gallons.

We are looking to chlorinate the water before entering the water tank or at the water tank so that there is plenty of contact time.

Shift Change

12 May 2008

We still do not have a chlorination system. Further assessment of the water tower found that the boards under the water tank were rotten. Tom Kamin insisted that they be replaced, so we spent much of the day obtaining new lumber for the top of the water tower. We also took Vic, Arthur and Betty to the airport and picked up our newest team member, Paul Maresca.

Paul is a member of the RAM Airborne team and has volunteered with RAM a few times. He just returned from Guyana two weeks ago after an airborne team mission to repair an airfield in the southern part of Guyana. The team did not have to skydive to gain access to the site, but they did find themselves in a situation requiring hard manual labor in a hot jungle environment. The airborne team always gets the toughest assignments.

Paul is an EMT from the East coast and works for AMR. He has been working on an ambulance for the last four years. He is also an experienced climber and seems to get along well with Ricki who is also an experienced climber. One interesting fact about Paul is that he learned to Skydive so that he could join the RAM Airborne team. He is an interesting person.

So by the end of the day, we had lost three team members and added one. We had replaced the lumber under the water tower. We have built an air vent to keep air pocket from forming in our standpipe. But we had not built a chlorination system.

Mission Accomplished. Oops! not so fast....

It is Sunday, and in Guyana it is a day of rest. Victor, Arthur and Betty are packing their bags and preparing to leave. They only had a few days to share with us and their time is gone. But with the water project completed, we have all felt comfortable with this. But as the sun began to heat us the local savanna, the list of problems began to grow.

Almost immediately this morning we noticed a significant lack of water pressure. Sinks and toilets worked, but the showers did not or would only provide a trickle of water. Vic and Arthur surveyed the problem noting numerous leaks that would need to be repaired immediately, but none of them seemed to be the problem. Eventually, Vic realized that he could hear water like a water fall inside the standpipe exiting the water tank. He realized the pipe should be full and that there must be air caught in the pipe. He sent Tom up the tower to vent the air and the problem was fixed. An air vent will need to be installed on the system at the top of the tower, but as all the stores are closed on Sunday, we will have to wait until Monday to make these repairs.

The next problem we noticed was that the chlorination system was not working. Unless we get it fixed, we are still simply drinking river water. We all looked over the system for a while to determine the problem. Arthur personally tested the system out in Canada before we left and it worked perfectly. What we were able to determine is that there is not enough suction force pulling the chlorination out of the tube and into the water pipe.

Vic described how venturi forces were being used to make this happen. He described to me how as water is squeezed into the center of the venturi, there is an increase in speed and how when it then exits the center as the pipe widens, there is a pressure loss. If another line is connected at this point, the pressure acts as suction. This is how it works in a carburetor.

Immediately Arthur and I futilely attempted to melt a PVC pipe over the campfire to form a venturi. We were unsuccessful. Then we started considering placing the system in another location and even considered trying to make an electric pumping system. But regardless of what we planned to do, we all realized that whatever was done, it would be done without our water specialists.

To this end, most of us sat around the table to discuss how we can solve the problem. There were many ideas and the final solution came from a combination of ideas from the team. Our game plan is to move the chlorination system to the top of the tower where there is less water pressure for the system to overcome. We will then tap into the inlet line and change the inlet line from a smaller diameter pipe to a larger diameter pipe. By doing this, we should be creating a crude venturi affect at the point where the pipe expands. At this point, we will insert the chlorination system. To find tune the system, we have to mount the chlorine reservoir at a level where the chlorine does not continue to drip into the tank without water movement through the pipe.

It will be much like adjusting the drip rate of an IV with a secondary piggyback drug. If the piggyback is set too low, the IV will run into the piggyback solution. It must be held higher than the main IV solution for it to work. For us, however, since we do not want it to continue to run without water flowing we cannot simply hang it well above the water line. We must find the point where pressures are equalized and then just a bit of suction through the venturi will draw out our chlorine.

Well the science seems to make sense. We will have to see if we can make work on a practical scale.

We Have Success!

10 May 2008

We have success! We now have water pumping to the bunkhouse building. This building is a single story building with 10 rooms that can house our pilot, doctors and nurses. RAM has medical teams that come out to Guyana throughout the year and now they will have a place to stay that will have clean water as well as flush toilets and showers. The site, which will be known as the RAM Center, will also be a center for traveling doctors to host medical clinics and surgeries.

Of course, just getting water to the building is only the first phase of our project. As soon as we pressurized the water system, most of the rooms had leaks of some sort, and two rooms flooded. It was a wet and muddy mess. Many of the sinks have a constant drip, as do the showers. Some toilets have a continuous stream of water. As water is not an unlimited resource here, each of these items must be fixed.

The building is many years old. The water system in the building is galvanized pipe that is set into the cement structure. The pipes exit, then a rubber hose is clamped onto the extended pipe. From the rubber hose, various fittings are clamped onto the system to feed the toilets or sinks. Every one of these will have to be removed and a valve placed on the exiting pipe. This way if a leak develops, the system can be isolated and water saved.

As we are nearing the completion of the water project, our team is now moving towards repairing and refurbishing the rooms of the bunkhouse. Bat guano must be removed from the floors and walls of many of the rooms. Old wasps nets and dirt are now a muddy mess in the rooms that flooded. Support structures need to be built to protect the filter systems and solar systems. We also need to buy a second water tank and install it on the water tower as one of the two original water tanks was leaking and was unable to be repaired.

Funds for the project have nearly been exhausted, and while RAM’s only expectation is to have clean water, we have the ability to make the RAM center a much more functional site as well as a place where volunteers exiting the jungle can get a taste of the modern world and a few comforts of home. After speaking with Stan Brock, of RAM, he has agreed to loan SOAR $1,500.00 USD to continue improving the site. I suspect it will be enough to make a significant impact on this site.

One interesting item for this project is an invention of Arthur Mills. To maintain a steady rate of chlorination for the water, we needed a system to inject chlorine into the water pipe before entering the water tank. An electronic device costs $10,000.00. Arthur created a device with a water bucket, a few pieces of PVC pipes and hoses, a bottle of bleach and an IV tubing system.

The bucket holds the bleach. At the bottom, a hole is drilled with a one-way valve placed at the exit. The IV drip spike is then inserted into the line draining from the bleach and is glued in place. The IV drip line then is attached to a large needed and the needle is inserted into a rubber stopper in a T-valve where the bevel of the IV is distal to the water flow. This creates a venturi effect that sucks the chlorine out and into the pipe. With the use of the IV flow adjustment dial, a person can adjust the around of chlorine to be used. By monitoring with test strips that tell the amount of chlorine in the system, subtle adjustments can be made to the system to accurately maintain the proper level of chlorination.

Of interest, about half of the team is now suffering from diarrhea that is probably the result of contact with the river water. It is an important reminder of why we are hear and we know we can spare future volunteers from this common problem.

We have water!

May 6, 2008

Plan B and a Swarm

Day two and we are already at plant B. The water team is stuck in Trinidad, Tobago. The driver who was to drive our supplies to Letham today is unavailable. David Batt arrived this morning and was to fly to Letham tomorrow since there would not be enough time to make the flight today. Marc Bacaro was to drive with the supplies today and arrive in Letham tonight. In the end, Marc and David were both able to fly with me to Letham. Patrick DeGroot will drive the supplies tomorrow. The Victor and his team will arrive tonight and will fly to Letham tomorrow. Tom Kamin arrives on Wednesday night.

So after an uneventful flight David, Marc and I arrived in Letham. David was able to make the flight, but it was close. The flight had only two passengers scheduled to fly, so the airline was willing to wait a bit before leaving. When it really got down to the wire, Patrick went to the desk to ask what pilot was flying. He returned saying, “we’ve got plenty of time. The pilot is my brother in law. He will leave when we want to leave.”

Upon arrival, we were picked up by Jeff Ware in his land rover that will not start. We had to push start it to leave the airport and again after lunch. It was not long before we were at the Marinari hospital site and it only took a few hours before I asked, “What am I doing here.”

Most of our equipment will be delivered by truck tomorrow. Consequently, there is little to do today than set up camp and start cleaning out some of the rooms. During this time I learned about a wasp whose sting is said to be worse than that of the killer bee and who is known for being much more tenacious. Jeff also raises bees and explained to us that some of the wasps set up inside one of the rooms, but he came in and smoked them out and removed the nest.

As we went from room to room, we found we did not have any keys, so I removed small panes of glass that rotate to open and close. Then I would squeeze in the opening so that I could inspect the room and do some basic cleaning. After entering one of these rooms, I suddenly found myself faced with a swarm of wasps filling the air. Within seconds I had already been stung multiple times. I tried to open the door, but it was looked and requires a key even from the inside. As the swarm multiplied and the stings increased in number, I found myself in a bit of a panic. In an instant I decided that I could jump out the window in the same space I crawled into. I was incorrect.

I went out the window with ease. I took quite a few panes of glass with me. Not to mention the rest of the swarm. I after hitting the ground I then found myself running at full spend to get away from the wasps. Marc was yelling at me saying that he could see them all over my shirt and suggested I pull it off. I left the shirt in a cloud of dust as I continued running. Eventually, I outran the swarm and starting killing the wasps that continued to sting me as they were attached to my pants, chest and back. I found myself covered in sweat, with multiple stings ranging from my neck to my inner thigh and a few minor lacerations on my arm. When Marc arrived, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the spectacle.

The evening was anticlimactic. We made rice and canned corned beef. Sunset was at 1900 and there was not much else to do. Now, it is late, I cannot sleep, so I thought I would write. Hopefully, tomorrow we will get some real work done.


May 7th 2008

It has been a bit of a frustrating day. We had rice from breakfast, we have accomplished very little, and could really not do much without the water team.

Jeff Ware was going to take me to Letham to pick up Vic and his crew, but his Land Rover was broken down and could not be started. Jeff asked for my assistance, and it was not too long before I realized it was the corrosion on the negative power cable on his truck that was causing the problem. As soon as it was cleaned off, I was able to start the engine. But it did run for long.

The next problem was the fuel pump. We removed the fuel line from the carburetor and no fuel was pumping. Jeff also said he could usually hear the pump, but was not able to hear the pump anymore. So I tracked down the power cable on the fuel pump and found it was also corroded. After that, the truck was running well and we went to the airport.

While waiting for Vic to arrive, I talked to Terrance Trap, the Remote Area Medical pilot who lives in Letham and has been there for almost four years. He has been dealing with a problem with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. Apparently, he failed to close a flight plan a few days ago and the government was very upset. He was grounded until he met with the CAA. He told me that he was unable to reach the air traffic control via radio to close the flight plan and the satellite phone was not working. But the government was not happy. He first told me about his while I was in Georgetown and I suggested he take my personal satellite beacon that will also send a pre-programmed e-mail to whoever he want to send it. I suggested he have it send an e-mail to close his flight plan. When he met the CAA, they liked the plan but then said he could only fly if he carried one with him. So, now, he needs to have my beacon or he cannot fly. So I gave my beacon to him and while we were waiting for Vic to arrive, I went to the Internet café and went online to configure the beacon.

Vic arrived shortly after that and brought with him Betty Belsher and Author Mills. Vic is an engineer from Whitehorse, Canada. He spends his time in the Yukon building water systems and working with the ski patrol. I first met him when we worked together providing tsunami relief in Sri Lanka. He did a fantastic job and was my first choice of people to take with me on this project.

Betty Belsher is a friend of Vic’s. She is a flight attendant and has used her vacation time to join Vic on this trip. Arthur Mills is a water technician and level four water treatment plant operator. His is from Fiji and has the friendly personality that is so common with the pacific islanders. He keeps the mood positive.

Once the team arrived back in Manari, we went immediately to work. Vic and Arthur looked at the site and started to consider how we would build the system. The original plan was to put an intake pipe into the river then filter and chlorinate the water. But they noticed that the banks of the river were sand and they felt that we should hand did a well. So in short time, we started digging. After a few hours we struck water, but also struck silt. So after some more discussions they decided that after digging a hole in the heat of the day, that we now dig a trench to the river to burry an intake line.

Soon it was dark and we quit working. Dinner was rice and canned chicken. I have been looking for a local person to cook for us, but I have not found one yet. If we do not get some real food and a good cook, I suspect this team will mutiny.

May 8, 2008

It has been a busy day. Sunrise was at about 0530. At first light, I was up walked out with a shovel to continue to digging. The morning was cool and that seemed like the best time to do heavy labor. Soon the rest of the team was out digging and cutting trenches to the river and up the hill to the clinic. Breakfast was not even a consideration. Two hours later, Betty was trying to cook eggs over a campfire and wanted to know how long they needed to cook or if we could boil an egg in water that is not close to boiling. We desperately need a cook! But eventually I did get a meal of two hard-boiled eggs and a piece of bread. Under the circumstances, it was a great meal.

But the digging was going slowly and we still need to dig more trenches. I decided to hire some local help. I talked to Jeff, and he called to make arrangements for three men to work with us. They arrived around noon and I will keep them until we have water running. The cook also arrived today and the team is much happier. We had steak for lunch and French fries. Rice is with every meal.

By the end of the day, much more work was accomplished. The big event of the day was when we placed the intake pipe into the river. The pipe is a 6-inch diameter pipe with holes drilled into the side. The 20 foot long pipe was then wrapped with two types of geotextile cloth. The cloth was held on with large clamps. Finally we secured a large metal pipe to the sides PVC pipe. It was secured with bailing wire and the pipe is used weigh the pipe down. The geotextile cloth is used as a primary filter source for the system. A one-micron filter will be installed later in the system and finally a chlorination system will be installed.

By nightfall, the team was back to being a positive group of people with full bellies and a feeling of accomplishment. We have had various problems with lack of tools, many of the supplies were wrong or missing. Our truck with the solar panels, the pumps and Tom Kamin has yet to arrive. We are expecting the truck to arrive later in the evening.

May 9, 2008



This has been the busiest day of the expedition. We have been feeling the push of the time clock for the Canadian water team and the possibility of failure has been in the air.

Tom Kamin arrived on the truck from Georgetown last night near 2300 hrs. In the truck the rest of our gear was packed and all of it arrived in good shape. All four solar panels were delivered without damage. The pumps arrived, as did a roll of polyethelene hose that we needed to connect the well pump to the system. During inspect of the supplies, we found the hose was not what we ordered and was too thin and flexible for our purposes. We looked all over Letham for a substitute but were unable to do so. In the end, we had to use the tubing that we were provided.

Shortly after sunrise Tom Kamin started installing the solar panels of the roof of the building. Tom is a flight medic with the United States Air Force Reserve and a licensed contractor in the United States. Tom and I served together for 11 years in the Air Force. He will be responsible for overseeing the work performed on the structure of the building and directing the team in various projects we need to improve the living conditions at this site.

Another team member, Ricki Sheldon arrived this afternoon. She is an American living in Northern Chile. She works as a mountain climbing guide, speaks multiple languages and is trained with the wilderness first responder certificate. Right away, she was hard at work and assisting Tom Kamin and David Batt with the solar panels. Her positive attitude and extensive experience in the developing world will prove to be valuable asset to the team.

For the past few days, we have worked hard but have seen little reward. Our days of work start at nearly 0600 and we work a few hours before breakfast. Then continue on until lunch. As soon as we stop eating, we are back at work. This continues until sunset when we eat dinner and rest for the evening.

Over the course of the day, it has been interesting to see the various teams form spontaneously for each task. Tom, David and Ricki worked on the solar panels. Arthur and Marc worked on the water tanks to fix the leaks and make adjustments to the water intake and output. I worked on installing the solar panel controller and the battery bank. Betty assisted our cook and helped the other teams as needed.

Near sunset, everyone was tired, but the water was not pumping to the well, three of the four solar panels were hooked up and the well pump was not permanently wired to the system. I pushed a bit harder for the team to complete this work, and at sunset, we had water running and our solar system completed.

After the work was completed, I still need to continue with my other chores. I made contact with Stan Brock and suggested that we purchase more batteries and a large inverter. With the success of the solar panels and the fact that none of them were damaged, I feel certain that we will be able to provide 110 AC power to the building. We are also running low on money, so RAM is going to loan me $1,500.00 USD to complete the project.

I feel certain that by sunset tomorrow, we will have running toilets, showers and sinks with clean water. Our first priority of this project is nearly completed. I am proud of the team that has volunteered to work here in Guyana.

Arrival in Georgetown

5 May 2008

Well, it’s day one and we have already have a few glitches in the system. David Batt had airline problems and will not arrive until tomorrow. Our water team consisting of Victor Menkal, Arthur Mills and Betty Belsher are currently stuck in Trinidad, Tobago. They hope to arrive late tomorrow night. Tom Kamin has just bought his ticket and will arrive on Wednesday. Only myself and Marc Bacaro have arrived. Logistically this is a problem as we have been utilizing local people to pick us at the airport, schedule fights and truck supplies and personnel into the interior and these people have already paid for our tickets, which must now be changed. Today, I was expressing my concern about this to Terrance Trap, the Remote Area Medical pilot, he said this is very normal and I should not be too concerned.

The good news is that all of the critical supplies arrived with me on the flight today. We are bringing four solar panels and not one was lost by the airline. The boxes holding the panels seemed to be in good shape, so I suspect they are not damaged, but I did not pull out the panels to inspect them. Tomorrow the panels will have to survive a 12 hours four-wheel drive through the jungle to the city of Letham. I feel confident that they will arrive in good shape.

So today has been a day of adjusting schedules and resting from the flight. I was also able to get to know Marc Barcaro better. Marc is a member of the RAM Airborne team. I helped train him to join the team a few years ago in Eloy, AZ. Now he is trained to skydive into remote jungle areas or disaster zones for various disaster scenarios. He remains eager to tackle his first airborne assignment.

At home, Marc is 27 years old and is an assistant project manager for a developer in Las Vegas. He has an EMT certificate and the Wilderness EMT certificate. He understands construction projects and will be a valuable member of the construction team at the hospital site in Marinari. I think I will enjoy working with him over the next few weeks.

Well, tomorrow I am scheduled to fly to Letham. I will prepare the site for the work and make certain that all the supplies are purchased. I will be excited to see clean water running from the faucets at our site. Until then, we will continue to work.

The Team Moves out

Tomorrow our team leaves for Guyana. The team will consist of the following people:
· Rene Steinhauer
· Tom Kamin
· Victor Mnkal
· Betty Belsher
· Arthur Mills
· Ricki Sheldon
· David Batt
· Paul Maresca
· Jim Trimby
· Marc Bacaro

I will leave Sausalito at 0900 and will arrive in Guyana at 0820 the next day. It will be a long day with long layovers at the airport. I hope we do not have any problems moving the solar panels. I have included the letter I send to our team in the posting below.



Dear Team,

Well, we are down to the wire and I am excited to be going to Guyana with all of you. Before we leave, I want to thank each of you for your commitment to this project. I know that each of you are spending your own money to volunteer and I know that each of you are also taking time away from work. Those facts make each of you our most prominent donors. No one has donated as much money as each of you are donating with this mission. I want each of you to know that I understand your sacrifice and appreciate your generosity.

Let’s review our game plan. Our primary goal is to bring water from the local river and deliver it to Marinari Clinic building in a purified state including chlorination. All of our efforts will be towards the completion of that goal. Solar cells and batteries will power this system. We will be installing solar panels, electrical wires and pipes. We will be digging ditches, working in the river and building support structures needed for the project.

Our water engineers only have the ability to be in country for one week. For that reason, they will be getting the royal treatment and will rapidly move to the worksite as soon as they arrive. Their priorities become our priorities. Victor Menkal is leading the water team. I have worked with him in Sri Lanka, and I am certain that we will all be proud of what we accomplish together with his leadership and expertise.

We can expect that during the first week we will be working long hours and working hard. During the first week, the focus is the water. If there is not enough work to keep us busy, then we can move towards working on repairing the hospital building. It is our second priority.

We have been asked by RAM to assist in the repair of the ranch house in Marinari. The ranch house will be converted into a hospital. Many rooms are in disrepair, plumbing may be broken. Electrical power needs to be installed. Basic cleaning and painting needs be performed and we need to check the roof. We will not be able to complete everything before we leave. We do want to have a few rooms fit enough for the RAM pilot and volunteers to live with running water and toilet as well as some basic electricity. Again, this is our second priority.

At this time, we have gathered much of the needed materials. They should be in Marinari on your arrival. Furthermore, BP Solar was kind enough to donate four panels that will produce 185 watts of power each. This donation was worth thousands of dollars. The panels will provide plenty of electricity to power the water pump as well as providing excess power for the hospital. Of course, they are flying on a commercial airliner, so I hope they all make it to Guyana without being lost or destroyed.

SOAR has purchased pumps and other equipment that I will be bringing on the airplane with me. We have ordered other supplies that are expected to be in Marinari when we arrive. As you can imagine, we cannot anticipate every possible problem and we do not have the funding to have every part we might need at the worksite. So we must expect logistical problems and we must be creative about finding solutions. We must be flexible like Gumby. In the Air Force, we used the phrase, “Semper Gumby.” I would be very surprised if everything went as planned without some sort of problems. If it did, it would not be challenging…and what fun would that be. So in the words of the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared.”

Speaking of preparedness, let’s talk about what to expect. We will arrive on Monday. There will not be enough time for us to catch a flight from the other airport to Letham, so we will stay in Georgetown. We will be staying in a hotel in Georgetown the first night. On Tuesday, the water team will leave via airplane to Letham. I may have to join the water team on the flight. I have reserved three seats. Also on Tuesday, I have arranged for a 4WD pick-up to transport the solar panels and some equipment to Letham. As the airplane will only take 25 lbs with each passenger, the water team will have to leave their gear behind and have it transported with the solar panels. After that, if we can fit more gear in the truck, we can send more people via the airline. The truck will also probably have at least one extra seat. Please pack light so that we can move all of the gear that is needed. Finally, for those who are not on an airplane or a truck, you will need to take the bus from Georgetown to Letham. This is an 18-hour trip and is a few hours longer than the drive. Expect dirt roads, jungles and mud.

In Georgetown, please exercise caution when moving about the city. Please travel in groups of two or three. The larger the group the better. Georgetown is a dangerous city. Last time I was there, I witnessed a man try to chop another man up with a machete in the local Internet café near my hotel. Try to avoid movement at night. Let others know where you are going and when you expect to return. Once we arrive in the interior of Guyana, it is much safer. There are some reports of a roving gang that has caused some problems and killed some people. I am not aware of any reports that put that gang anywhere near Letham or Marinari.

To stay healthy, please drink only bottled water and from a sealed bottle that you, yourself have personally opened. If it comes to you opened. Send it back. When you shower, keep your mouth closed. When you brush your teeth, use bottled water to wet your toothbrush (this one gets people all of the time). When you eat, eat meat that is hot and well cooked. I never eat salads or fresh vegetables during a trip like this. If you are going to do so, peel the vegetable or fruit or wash it with bleach and water. Once we are at the worksite, we will be doing or own cooking unless I can hire a local to cook for us. Then, our food should be good.

Please bring money with you. The round trip between Letham and Georgetown is about 250.00 USD for airplane. You will also need money for hotel and food. Any activities you want to do when you are not working may also cost money. I would suggest a minimum of $500.00. You should have this money in small dollar amounts. We will be in country for three weeks. I hope that each of you can do some sort of tourist activity during that time. A volunteer should not have to work for 21 days straight.

Each of you should be carrying a tent and sleeping bag. It is the rainy season, so be prepared to be wet. Bring a few changes of clothing because we will be getting dirty. Bring the best mosquito repellent you can find. Consider taking anti-malarial medicine. If you are going to take some, you should have already started the medicine. I recommend a water pump and water bottle. If you are getting on the bus, you will want a good supply of water and the ability to purify more, so keep the pump in a backpack that you keep with you. I will be bringing two pumps. You should also have a plate, a cup and knife and fork. We will be camping out in the jungle, pack accordingly.

Finally, I want to ask you to be prepared for an experience that will change your life. If you have never been part of a project like this, it will leave a lasting memory. You can expect problems from the moment you land on the ground. You can expect the bus to break down, the airplane to make an emergency landing at an unexpected airfield. You can expect supplies to break or be lost. You can expect to be tired, hungry and stressed. With such a large and varied group of people you can then expect to have conflict and confusion. But we are a team and will work as a team.

My experience is that we usually show up happy and excited about the project. In a short time we are wondering why we ever volunteered. Then there is a bit of interpersonal conflict. It is always resolved. Eventually, the project is completed. We are all happy again. The team returns back to Georgetown and everyone is even happier. Finally, when you return home, you find yourself thinking about your teammates, the achievements accomplished and the lives saved. This is never easy, but it is always worthwhile.

I hope this gets you thinking about where we are going. Stay flexible, be safe and have a great time. This project will save lives.

Your friend,

Rene Steinhauer
Director, Serving Others Aid Relief Inc

SOAR Goes to Guyana

Stay tuned! SOAR will be in Guyana from May 4th to May 27. We will be building a water project for a hospital. More to come soon.