Accomodation: Water
Getting drinking/cooking water
The group before you should have left two five-gallon bottles of water to get you started. You can also take over empty bottles from inside the clinic hallway and fill them up at the store opposite the gates of the orphanage. In the morning and throughout the day keep an eye out for the bottle water truck. This is still the easiest way to get large quantities of water even though you will pay about $.25 more per bottle than across the street.
How much water is needed?
A rule of thumb is one bottle per person per week. You may want to begin by getting half that much and see how it goes.
Even on mildly warm days you want to be sure people are drinking at least a gallon of water a day. This will help fend off heat exhaustion, general fatigue, short tempers and grumpiness. The simple test to check for good water intake: Clear, not yellow urine.
Note especially on big work days (like cement day or when you are pushing to wrap up the houses) the water taken before noon is what will help you stay strong and on target at 4 P.M.
Even on mildly warm days you want to be sure people are drinking at least a gallon of water a day. This will help fend off heat exhaustion, general fatigue, short tempers and grumpiness. The simple test to check for good water intake: Clear, not yellow urine.
Note especially on big work days (like cement day or when you are pushing to wrap up the houses) the water taken before noon is what will help you stay strong and on target at 4 P.M.
The easiest way to ensure water consumption is to have each team fill water bladders or take a 5 gallon bottle with them to the site each morning. Make sure that the bottles come back as there is a fee for lost or damaged bottles.
Have teams designate a water captain to make sure the team takes frequent water breaks throughout the day.
Have teams designate a water captain to make sure the team takes frequent water breaks throughout the day.
Upon your departure, be sure to leave 2 unopened 5 gallon bottles for the next group.
Water is a major expense for the families at our sites. Water can easily take over a third of a family’s annual income—more than we would pay for gas or on house payments. So out of respect, please resist the temptation to have water fights.