Making Improved Prototypes

UNDER THE MOTTO "BETTER HOUSE, BETTER LIFE"; the housing project called "Making of Concrete Blocks for Floor and Papercrete Panels for Walls" continues to be executed. The last information I shared with you all on it, through my blog, was about the results of the quality control laboratory of a local university which suggested improving the mixture quality that was used to make concrete blocks as well as papercrete panels so that they will be more resistant to pressure forces. In this new post I would like to share about the new prototypes that were built based on the laboratory results.

In this part of my post I would like you to know that two people have joined this project as volunteers from a very faraway country located in Europe. They are two French youth that will stay here in Chimbote city for awhile and while here they are very willing to assist the activities of the project. Their names are Roman WYTS and Maxime ANTIER. They are planning to perform some economic activities in a near future to raise funds for assisting this project, which I am going to post here in my web site.

Well, coming back to the project, according to the suggestion of the laboratory, the mixture was improved and a new prototype of concrete block and a new one of papercrete panel were built over three weeks ago but, after the few days that it took for the prototypes to dry, it was discovered that the thickness of the papercrete panel was very thin, which meant the mold that they used was inappropriate. The thickness of the concrete block was ok.

So, to solve this problem it was necessary to build a new mold with the correct thickness, and with this a new prototype of papercrete panel was built. Samples of concrete block and paperpcrete panel had already been sent to the laboratory. As usual, it took some days for the prototype to dry.

After some days, the results from the laboratory said that concrete block and papercrete panel samples have successfully passed the tests for quality control related to resistance to pressure force. Now it is needed to test the papercrete panel again, but this time to see how resistant it is to fire. I will share this activity in my next post.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES.

More On Community Mapping Trip

IN MY PREVIOUS POST I have shared with you all about some activities that Marietta-GA-USA Mission Team performed the first two days of their mission here in Chimbote. Now I would also like to share the new activities performed by them the third day. On Monday January 18th in the morning, the mission team or ABCD team and some officers of Chimbote Rotary Club met in headquarters of the Rotarian club before making a visit to a local enterprise. So we all went to Nuevo Chimbote district to visit the water treatment plant of the Paramunicipal Enterprise SEDACHIMBOTE S.A. which provides sanitation services and whose jurisdiction covers DEL SANTA Province (Chimbote and Nuevo Chimbote districts) and CASMA and HUARMEY Provinces located Chimbote south. Nuevo Chimbote is located next to Chimbote.

The provision of these services includes recruitment, transportation, production, treatment, storage and distribution of drinkable water to users; as well as collection, treatment and final disposition of sewage. It also provides complementary services such as:

• Physical and chemical analysis.
• Bacteriological analysis.
• Sale of water in tanks.
• Reopening of drinking water service.
• Rehabilitation of water and/or drainage.
• Installation of new connections.
• Others.

SEDACHIMBOTE has two kinds of water sources that let it to produce drinking water:

1. Superficial Source: It is obtained water from Santa river for a population of 26000 users of Nuevo Chimbote. It produces 500 liters per second.
2. Underground Source: It is obtained water through 22 wells located among Chimbote and Nuevo Chimbote districts and Casma and Huarmey provinces. They supply water to a population of 47123 users and produce 860 liters per second.

The engineer in charge of water treatment plant kindly showed us the whole process from the recruitment to the distribution of drinking water even invited us to drink some water. This way our visit to SEDACHIMBOTE finished. Then we all came back to Chimbote and headed to Our Lady of Perpeual Help parish to talk with its main priest, an American person named Fr. Jack Davis better known here in Chimbote as padre Juan and to get to know about his life effort and sr. Peggy Byrne's for the poor of this town.

Since many years ago he strives to bring hope and dignity to the poorest people of Chimbote and so together with his Peruvian and American friends could form a non-profit organization called Los Amigos del Padre Juan (The Friends of Father Jack) which is a faith-based organization dedicated to supporting programs that improve and transform the lives of the poor in Chimbote - Perú.

After the meeting with fr. Jack the ABCD team headed to La Casa de la Juventud (Youth House) where is presently located a non-profit organization called Chimbote Unlimited Oportunities - CHOI. Its executive director, Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, shared with us about this organization and its social programs. It was a long day and this way the ABCD team finished their activities in Chimbote.

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Community Mapping Trip

JANUARY 15 - 18 THIS YEAR, a mission team coming from the town of Marietta - GEORGIA - USA and composed by three people: Dr. Virginia Galvin, Mr. Brian McNair and Mr. forrest Cate, came down to Chimbote to fulfill some activities related to Asset-Based Community Development in this town. It means their purpose was to explore community development partners and identify ways they can connect with us, people of Chimbote. Presently one of their main goals is how they can partner together with people of Chimbote to understand what assets are in place. So, on this context it was necessary for them to participate in meetings with some leaders of local institutions.

It was planned for them to arrive in Chimbote on Thursday January 14th but since their flight to Perú was delayed by mechanical problems the mission team arrived safely in Chimbote from Lima on Friday January 15 around 7:00pm so their work started the next day.

On Saturday January 16th early in the morning. I had the privilege to be with them all the time and to become part of the team while here in Chimbote assinting them, one way or another, in their activities. So, on Saturday morning we met with the leaders of Chimbote Rotary Club and the ones of Chimbote Chamber of Commerce. One word: Water. This will no doubt be a project that will bring groups from a wide spectrum of interest and purposes to gather around water quality and quantity issues. Much love to Mr. Chuck Spivey for his vision and leadership on this initiative.

It was also talked on others topics such as agricultural and fisheries production and its possibilities for future. Green affordable housing was another importat issue. After those meetings with local leaders we the team went to a rural area called Guadalupito located about 30 min away from Chimbote north by car and next to Santa river which is the most important river of Ancash department and caters several provinces of this department including Del Santa province within which Chimbote town is located. In Guadalupito it was taken some soil samples out of its agricultural fields to determine, in laboratories of University of Georgia - USA, what other types of crops may grow here.

On Sunday January 17th we went on a cool trip to a little town called MORO (a district belonging to Del Santa province) located in the mountains about 45 min away from Chimbote south where we visited a couple of vineyards. Here there are some Inca ruins and a nice little downtown square. On the way to Moro we stopped off in a district called NEPEÑA (another district belonging to Del Santa province) to take some soil samples out of its agricultural field as well. I will share with you activities of Monday January 18th in my next post

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Quality Control

SOME DAYS HAVE GONE BY since the execution of the Concrete Blocks and Papercrete Panels project, expecting these prototypes will dry. The next step was to take the samples of mixtures to a local private university to carry out the respective analysis of their resistance and this way getting to know whether they are meeting requeriments related to resistance to compression force. So, samples were left at the soils mechanic and materials testing laboratory of the San Pedro Private University of Chimbote. People in charge of the project were only waiting for the results of the laboratory tests made on samples.

Well, the day came and results showed that it is needed to improve a little the quality of mixtures obtained to guarantee a better resistance of the concrete blocks and papercrete panels. Now new prototypes of them are going to be built as soon as possible but this time considering the laboratory reults.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES.