Mike Lipman's Wonderful Essays on South Asia Pure Water Initiative (Update #2)

October 2014

Dear Friends,

We are in the middle of our training camp in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh at the Friends Rural Center, a Quaker retreat on 48 acres. About 40 of the acres are planted with rice, toor dal (lentil), maize that they use for cattle feed and vegetables. They have a dairy herd consisting of brahma cows, particularly hearty in the hot weather.

We have 61 participants representing 25 non-profit organizations who are interested in learning about the BioSand filter technology for their rural development projects. Contaminated water in rural India is a scourge that our filter can handle in a cost effective way. The trainees are taught the water cycle, ways to protect water sources, sanitation and hygiene, the science of the BioSand filter and construction of the filter and manufacturing of the molds. We also give guidance in planning and rolling out a clean water program using the filter. Our lead trainer, Suneel Ragavaram, is from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), a non-profit organization in Canada that is the world’s leader in BioSand filter technology science and engineering.

The participants have each made two filters with their own hands, a lesson they will never forget. This is a remarkable group, peppered with master degree graduates in rural development, scientists and engineers. They have completely grasped the concepts being taught and have participated fully in discussions and interactive learning sessions.

Last evening we were entertained by two trainee singers. The event turned out to be a variety show as the hidden talents of many of the trainees came to the surface. There were stories and jokes, lively songs were sung by the crowd and to top it off, one of the participants grabbed the guitar and began singing old Bob Dylan songs that brought the house down!

After the festivities, we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by our chef and his staff in their outdoor kitchen adjacent to our three sided dining tent. The chef had cooked for the governor of the State and the meals are delicious and varied. It is a common practice in India to serve only vegetarian food at events like ours so as not to offend any vegetarians who participate.

The participants took a test on the last day and we presented them with their certificates, made emotional speeches and said good bye to our newly made friends and BioSand water filter family. They are now ready to start a BioSand filter program of their own and are qualified to teach others to do the same. We now have trained people in 25 of India’s 29 States and are positioned to begin rolling out this life saving technology throughout the country.

We were ready to leave the training site when a television crew showed up to interview us and learn about the filter. Once again we unpacked the demo filter and the PowerPoint presentation and submitted to the last of our press meets. We have had at least half a dozen newspaper and television interviews. We try to have our trainees contact the press whenever we make a site visit. We also invite local dignitaries, Rotary and Lions club members and rural development officers to meet us and learn about the filters. The press and other exposure does wonders for our trained organizations to raise awareness and support for their programs from local people.

After the interview four of us were driven to Bhopal, a three hour drive over bad roads and spent the night. An early morning flight brought two of us to New Delhi, our trainer; Suneel, flew to Hyderabad and Ramachandra, our Managing Director, to Bangalore.

Shivani and I met with the joint drinking water minister at the Central Government Complex in New Delhi, one of the top Indian officials who are involved with water issues in the country. The meeting ran late so we missed our last appointment of the day. On our way back to the airport late in the afternoon our taxi broke down near the airport. We take the prepaid taxis in New Delhi because they are one-half the rate of the newer air conditioned fleet. They are held together with bailing wire and tape but since the weather wasn’t steamy, it was fine. The vehicle broke a spring on the speed bumps leading to the airport and came to a loud and sudden halt. The driver hopped out, flagged down another taxi and we transferred the luggage and finished the journey. We flew to Bangalore and reached our hotel at midnight. That was a typical day in India, not an exceptional one!

I am leaving India without finishing our scheduled program. Exhaustion and a respiratory infection forced me to leave a few days early. Shivani and Ramachandra are flying to Pune, then driving to Mumbai and finally to New Delhi to finish our scheduled appointments with two fortune 100 (in India) corporate foundations, Rotary Clubs and dignitaries. Thanks team! This is the third time I am leaving India with a respiratory problem. The cities have immense problems with clean air and the countryside is dusty from the traffic running on the sides of the road that have unpaved shoulders. I am trying to avoid the bouts of pneumonia I have contracted in the past by resting and leaving early.

Despite the rigors of traveling in this country, the experience is gratifying, interesting, challenging and rewarding. I have met so many wonderful people and have seen parts of 7 Indian States on this trip, many for the first time. We have great momentum going forward and we all hope our hard work pays dividends in saving and changing lives by simply providing clean drinking water.

Mike

South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc. 11 Wadsworth Lane
Wallingford, CT 06492
USA 

 www.sapwii.org 

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