In Rafael Rodriguez’s community of La Colorada, rainfall is abundant, but water sources are often unprotected. The people there have struggled with waterborne illness for years, but Rafael is also plagued by health issues that left him wheelchair bound.
When Wine To Water came to La Colorada to pilot our Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system, we asked each household to construct the base of the system using cement block and rebar.
Rafael was determined to participate despite his disability and lack of resources. He put his ingenuity to work, using an old tractor tire to construct the base rather than cement blocks. Rafael’s neighbors helped
him move the tire into place, filling it with rocks and topping it with cement.
When our team arrived at Rafael’s home, they were thrilled to find that he had not only completed the base, but had improved on the design! Rafael’s resourcefulness and motivation inspired the new RWH system base that WTW now uses throughout the Dominican Republic.
Rafael’s story illustrates how WTW works hand in hand with people and communities to develop context- appropriate solutions. Each individual matters and has something to contribute to their own society and to the world.
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