On the first of April 2010 the Dew Pond was completed. This was a project that I undertook with 0 knowledge and 0 experiences. One reason why the Peace Corps is great: One can employ any project regardless of whether it may or may not work. One of the major projects that I have implemented and finished this quarter was a dew pond. The focus of this project is to equip the farm land with an experimental dew pond. A dew pond is an artificial pond usually sited on the top of a hill, intended for watering livestock, or in some cases to act as a water source for drinkable water. If built correctly, in theory, dew should collect on the surface of the water; thus, keeping the pond replenished even in the dry season. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available. They usually are shallow, saucer-shaped, and lined with clay or cement, and banana leaves or bamboo shoots to insulate the bottom layer. To deter earthworms from their natural tendency of burrowing upwards, which in a short while would make the clay lining porous, a layer of soot would be incorporated. The clay is usually covered with the banana leaves or bamboo shoots to prevent cracking by the sun and, if necessary, a final layer of broken stone may be added to protect the lining from the hoofs of sheep or cattle, or a layer of plastic to help protect unwanted external materials to enter the body of water in an effort to keep the water clean and sanitary. The pond that we constructed is 9x9x5 and required two bags of cement, six bags of sand and a truck load of rocks. It is insulated with cement, along with a waterproofing additive, and large hard rocks. The cement and rocks have a high level of albedo, meaning that the rocks and cement do not absorb very much sunlight but actually reflect it; therefore, the water will be cooler than the surrounding earth allowing for the dew to collect on the surface of the water. We built a trench leading to the pond and insulated it with straw. We created two small pools with rocks to filter the water. Additionally, we built a fence around the pond with barbwire which we used from recycled material that was on the farm. The labor was free as the students came one to two days out of the week to work on the pond. The tools such as: Spades, hoes, shovels, jerry cans, and water were provided by RACOBAO.
In short, it is a 9x9x5 hole in the ground that is insulated with hard rock and cement (with a water proofing agent additive). The point of this is for the pond to be cooler than the surrounding earth so that it will release the heat absorbed throughout the day quickly so that dew can then form on the water surface; thus, replenishing the pond in the dry season. It is a replica of the ponds built in England; as the climate here is very different this is an experiment. Nonetheless, a great experience for the students!
Upon implementing the dew pond project, I encountered many challenges. The first was that of a communication setback. I was under the false pretence that my co worker, in charge of the farm, had informed the youth that attend the vocational school about the dew pond, what it is used for, what they would be doing work wise, etc. I was wrong. Unbeknownst to me, they were told to merely come and dig. In addition, I found out that they thought I had paid my co worker and he was not paying them. The youth also thought that I had money because I am white and American. The youth kept asking me for money while they were digging and, of course, that upset me greatly as this was an opportunity for them as well as a practicum. I found out later from another teacher that the youth felt that I was taking advantage of them because they were orphans. I was greatly disconcerted and immediately spoke to my counterpart. She instructed the headmaster to come with me to speak with the youth. After explaining the goals of the project, their roles and how they would benefit from the dew pond their attitudes changed immensely and we were able to move forward positively.
Another challenge I encountered with this project was motivating the women to come and cement the interior of the pond. There is a newly employed teacher at the Lyantonde Vocational School that used to be a student there herself. She was the only girl that participated in mechanics and carpentry, while the girls usually participate in the tailoring program. She was highly honored for her outstanding work as a student that upon graduation the staff of RACOBAO asked her to come teach brick building. After hearing of this, I had high hopes that with a role model it would motivate the women to work outside their prescribed social stereotypes. So when the opportunity presented itself, I was disheartened that none of the girls came to cement- it was only the boys. When I asked the teacher why none of the girls came, she relayed the message that the girls thought this type of work was only for boys and the activity did not interest them. This was an eye opening experience for me and even though it was a challenge, it shed light on the fact that my attention needs to be directed in this area; thus, allowing me to pursue more projects of this circumstance.
Another major challenge that I encountered with the dew pond was working with men. I was well aware of how they view women in Uganda and women in general, but had not yet experienced any negative interactions. Most of the encounters throughout the entirety of the construction of the dew pond were small; but nonetheless, frustrating and infuriating. When sharing my ideas and notions with my male co workers, they constantly told me that they would not work when I knew for a fact that they would. In trying to explain my logic to them I was ignored or talked over. Moreover, I was told that men are stronger than women; in consequence, a heated debate took place thereafter. However, this was turned around after a male Peace Corps Volunteer and his counterpart came to help me with a section of the pond. My fellow volunteer constantly encouraged the women to come help and insisted that the girls participate. He was adamant that the newly formed water committee be gender balanced. His counterpart discouraged this in front of all the youth, saying that the work was only for boys but the volunteer held his ground and stood up for the girls. I was utterly grateful and saw a major change afterwards from my male co workers and the male youth.
Now that it is finished, the trial begins!
UPDATE:
It is now September of 2010 and the pond has not been collecting water. I would like to blame the weather as the rainy season has been sporadic. There is also the problem of keeping the grass down and building a fence. A water committee had been formed and has continued to go to the site to maintain the area (slashing grass, fixing the fence, removing and covering the plastic sheets, etc.). They are supposed to report back to the rest of the school in monthly meetings about the pond and its progress; this often leads to a discussion about what is missing or what still needs to be done. However, I am having a difficult time motivating the water committee. They are not following up on their duties nor are they informing me of issues regarding the pond. I need to have consecutive meetings with them in order to make this sustainable.
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