One of my friends is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. Eme has been working in a remote village. The pictures show a kitchen project - think about your whole kitchen being a smoker and note the new chimney! Now, think about that same house with NO bathroom! It's like that in the whole village. Eme is going to change that.
Not long ago, I received an email from Eme titled, "Exciting News!" Now, I've known Peace Corps volunteers who have gotten engaged while "in country" or who have adopted babies before they came home. But, no, this was not that kind of news! It was all about bathrooms!
Here's the email:
"The greatest news of all for me within the last bit of time was that my bathroom project proposal was reviewed and approved by Peace Corps Bolivia. This means that it will be sent to PC Washington DC to be reviewed and posted on the internet.
"What does all this mean exactly? Glad you asked! Once Washington Peace Corps has posted my project online whoever wishes to donate can do just that. My proposal is to construct 28 family bathrooms, one at each family's house. What Washington posted on the Peace Corps website is my project, its description, and what I'm asking for: US$5,000 (for materials). The librarian in the Peace Corps Bolivia office contacted me to let me know that donations are now being accepted.
"Being fully truthful to all of you on my list I was going to ask you all to help me achieve the amount. That's to say, and I have thought of this, that if each one of the 100+ on my list were to donate $50 my goal would be reached. When have you been able to construct a bathroom for $50? This will give a family the opportunity for privacy that we all take advantage of every time we use a bathroom, even when it's super gross. Whether you donate or not I will continue to send you these wonderful mass emails with or without great stories of cows and the such. But if you find a different/better project while on the Peace Corps website PLEASE donate. Volunteers truly believe in their projects and their communities. I’ll be sending an email out to you all when I know my projects been posted. Thanks ahead of time for your support!!! By the way, someone already donated $1500!!!! I’m super PUMPED!!! And on such a high right now!"
So, I clicked here.
Today I got this in the mail:
"On behalf of the Peace Corps, it is my pleasure to thank you for your contribution of $XXX to the Peace Corps Partnership Program. Your contribution has been directed to the Family Bathrooms project in Bolivia.
"Since 1964, the Partnership Program has been successful in fostering self-sufficiency in countries around the world due to the concern and participation of people such as you. Your contribution will provide the assistance necessary to improve the lives of individuals and families in these communities and support their efforts in achieving sustained change."
Yahoo! I have a bathroom in Bolivia! Maybe I'll give it to my parents for Christmas! Would your family like a bathroom, too?
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