Presentation ETAP 05-2010 english -...

AGUA PARA LA V IDAAGUA PARA LA V IDAAGUA PARA LA V IDAAGUA PARA LA V IDA

Agua potable y saneamiento • Reforestación • Higiene y salud • Capacitación técnica

PRESENTATION

ETAP Escuela Técnica de Agua Potable

Program of Agua Para La Vida



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CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................3

2. AGUA PARA LA VIDA (APLV) ...............................................................................................3

3. ESCUELA TÉCNICA DE AGUA POTABLE: ETAP................................................................4

4. ETAP STUDENTS.......................................................................................................................6

5. THE TITLE OF HYDRAULIC TECHNICIAN ..........................................................................7

5.1 General Skills .......................................................................................................................7 5.2 Modules taught .....................................................................................................................7 5.3 Practice in the field...............................................................................................................8

6. FINANCIAL SUPPORT..............................................................................................................9

6.1 Donations as scholarship ......................................................................................................9 6.2 Donations for long-term investments .................................................................................10

7. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................................10



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1. INTRODUCTION

In Nicaragua, the coverage level of potable water and sanitation services is low: UNDP estimates that 52% of the rural population live without access to clean water or adequate sanitation. This situation is even more acute in indigenous communities, where 80% of the population lacks basic services, increasing infant mortality rates. The ability of government and Nicaraguan citizens to create systems of drinking water and sanitation is limited by both the lack of financial resources to finance systems and the lack of Nicaraguan hydraulic technicians able to design and build these systems. For these reasons, in addition to their own drinking water projects, the NGO Agua Para La Vida (Water For Life) (APLV) has created a Drinkable Water Technical School called ETAP (Escuela Técnica de Agua Potable) with the goal of teaching young people from rural areas how to design and build drinking water projects. This training completely free for students, enables them to improve their economic status and give them the skills necessary to be involved in the development of their own country. Graduates are Hydraulics Technicians.

2. AGUA PARA LA VIDA (APLV)

Agua Para La Vida is an international non-profit organization founded in 1987 with the aim of improving the living standards of rural communities in Nicaragua. The organization has 23 years of running integrated projects on water, sanitation, health and environment for rural communities, designing and installing up to date, 62 projects of gravity water systems that serve around 20,000 people with drinking water. Today, the organization is registered as an NGO in France and the US, with funding from international cooperation and individual donors in France and the US.

Influence area of Agua Para La Vida in Nicaragua

RAAN• 7 proyectos• 4,397 beneficiarios

RAAS• 14 Proyectos• 6,514 beneficiarios

BOACO• 3 Proyectos• 620 beneficiarios

MATAGALPA•38 Proyectos•7,853 beneficiarios

Managua

Río Blanco

RAAN• 7 proyectos• 4,397 beneficiarios

RAAS• 14 Proyectos• 6,514 beneficiarios

BOACO• 3 Proyectos• 620 beneficiarios

MATAGALPA•38 Proyectos•7,853 beneficiarios

Managua

Río Blanco



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APLV consists of 5 integrated components:

o Drinking Water: Design and construction of potable water gravity-fed system with public or individual waterstands, education and training of CAPS (Water and Sanitation Committee).

o Sanitation: Help in building VIP latrines (Ventilated Improved Pit) for families with inadequate health services.

o Health: Community diagnosis and organization of workshops and training chat to promote health and hygiene.

o Environment: Identification and conservation of the source / watershed through reforestation.

o Water Technical School (ETAP): Training of students from rural communities in order to make Hydraulic Technicians who will be able to design and manage water supply and sanitation projects funded by the government, municipalities or NGOs.

3. ESCUELA TÉCNICA DE AGUA POTABLE: ETAP

The Technical School of Water Supply was created in 1996 to train young technicians as capable of performing analysis, design, and implementation of projects related to gravity-fed distribution systems of drinking water for rural communities. Specifically, these are systems that include small water aqueduct and distribution networks.

Young girl using her new water tap in the comunity of Monte de Cristo

Deforested area in the watersheed of Likia-Los Olivos



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This school is unique in Nicaragua. Its objectives are:

- To make hydraulics technicians capable of designing and implementing entirely a project of drinking water supply by gravity in rural communities

- To give young people from rural communities and with very limited resources the opportunity to continue their studies,

- To allow municipalities, communities, NGOs and of course Agua Para La Vida to use highly trained and competent people for all kinds of work on water projects.

In order to produce highly trained technicians with the required amount of experience:

⟩⟩⟩⟩ the course lasts at least two years full time. ⟩⟩⟩⟩ The course is made of studies and practices. The student spends approximately 40% of the time in practice (on projects in the field) and 60% in the study (in class).

In this way the student can assimilate the information of the class with their experience in the field. The number of students is limited to eight so that each student receives the attention he needs and deserves. The school is located in the city of Rio Blanco in the Department of Matagalpa. To date, the school had 4 promotions that have graduated. 25 students received the title of Hydraulic Technician. All technicians employed by APLV are graduates of the ETAP.

Students of the fourth promotion in their classroom



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4. ETAP STUDENTS

APLV is highly involved in gender and ethnic equality. It is therefore important for us to recruit women and indigenous as long as they comply with the school requirements. The recruitment was done through an initial selection according to the following required documents (letter of application, letter of recommendation, proof of their economic status ...). Then, the shortlisted candidates had to come to Rio Blanco to participate to an exam and personal interview with APLV team-mates. The requirements to participate to the exam are:

• To be Nicaraguan, • To come from rural communities, • To be of low income, • To be between 17 and 30 years old, • To have the high school diploma, • To be disposed to work with communities of extreme poverty, • To have time and attitude necessary to meet the schedule, examinations and field work.

Words of a student at the start of training, fourth promotion :

Hello my name is DIXON ANTONIO GONZALES ROCHA. I am a 21 years-old native of the community of Santa Rita, Mulukuku Township, North Atlantic Autonomous Region. RAAN. God has given me a beautiful family with my father, my mother, five brothers and one sister. My family is a generous, humble, hardworking, and above all very honest one. My parents are of very low income. My father works in agriculture, my mother is a housewife. I have two younger brothers going to school. My dad helps them and our family with the little money he earns. With his help I could get my primary and secondary studies and so I managed to get this opportunity at the Technical School of Water Supply in Rio

Blanco. Because otherwise I could not continue studying because my father is unable to pay my studies at university. The study at ETAP is something very special to me because it is a great opportunity that I had not been able to find before and thanks to donors I am going to achieve my dream of completing my studies in ETAP and get my career diploma, hoping to get a decent job in the future and to work with a good professional preparation and to serve my community, town and country.

Dixon Gonzalez



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5. THE TITLE OF HYDRAULIC TECHNICIAN

The course, Design and Management of Water Systems, lasts at least two years full time. The course is a program of studies and practices recognized by INATEC (National Institute of Technology). The study period is divided into theory (60%) and practice (40%).

5.1 General Skills

The general skills acquired with this course are:

• To learn, develop and implement updated techniques in formulation, planning, surveying, design, construction, management, and drinking water and rural sanitation project management.

• To identify, analyze, and propose solutions to problems with existing drinking water systems.

• To develop general skills in mathematics, computers, oral and written communication as part of a comprehensive education.

• To communicate and work effectively with project stakeholders: government officials, water committees, communities, skilled labor, and others.

5.2 Modules taught

This course is taught by various instructors. Among these, we find technicians who are working in APLV and people from others programs of APLV (hygiene promotion, reforestation, finance and administration, social organization). The main courses are taught by the school director who is an engineer. The program and the didactic material were designed by a professor in Hydraulic engineering who is a PhD of international fame.

Topics of the course are: - Surveying and Mapping - Mathematics - Computer - Technical Communication - Project Management

- Applied Hydraulics - Design of Drinking Water Systems

Water Quality and Treatment - Static - Construction Materials



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Time-Table by topics

COMPETENCIA 1st PERIOD - 8 months-

2nd PERIOD

- 12 months - 3rd PERIOD - 6 months -

Complete Program

Surveying and Mapping 200 60 260

Mathematics 350 350

Computer 140 160 300

Technical Communication 80 80 160

Project Management 40 120 160

Applied Hydraulics 60 140 200

Design of Drinking Water Systems 500 60 560

Water Quality and Treatment 20 40 60

Static 100 100

Construction Materials 40 40

Total class 1030 1100 60 2190

Total field 340 560 640 1540

Total by period 1370 1660 700 3730

5.3 Practice in the field

Students spend working in the field about 40% of their time. The major part of this time the student is working on a APLV’s projects. In the field, students are involved in all tasks necessary for the completion of a drinking water project.

Student work in the field



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These activities include the following:

• topographic survey • pipeline installation • tank construction & water catchments • construction of suspension bridges for

pipeline • latrines construction • construction of the pipes system • construction of waterstands • drainage issues • analysis of existing systems and spare parts

• population estimates • sanitary surveys • raw water bacteriological tests • community organizing assemblies • community training workshops • land measuring • soil examination • performance tests of water distribution

systems

Field work re-enforces the skills of the use of surveying instruments and practical knowledge of all pipe installation details, construction of structures, and implementation of projects. Field work gives opportunities for students to synthesize knowledge of the various topics they have learned in class

6. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

ETAP Funding is done through donations from organizations that want to support this project. That covers all school expenses, namely: • Teachers' salary • Per diem of the practices in the field • School equipment (computers, books, calculators ...) • Various materials for operation of the school (boots, hammock... for field work, furniture ...) • Scholarship in order to offer students food, a stipend ... • Others expenses (house rent, water, electricity ...) How, you or your organization, can support our school? There are two forms of donation that can be done to ETAP.

6.1 Donations as scholarship

A full scholarship for a student is $ 8,000 for all the training that is to say $ 4,000 per year. This scholarship includes all the costs for the training of one student. If your are interested, please ask for the detailled budget. With this grant, training for students is free. Without that, they would not have the opportunity to study because of their very low resource levels. Obviously, a donation can be only a part of a complete scholarship.



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6.2 Donations for long-term investments

Those donations are used for bigger investments like the purchase of school equipment that are not included in the normal budget that finances scholarships. Moreover, APLV has currently one purchase project of the actual school. Up to now we have been able to rent space for the school but lately that has become very difficult and has forced ETAP to move too frequently. That is why we have decided to buy a building which is well suited for this use, close to the APLV offices in Rio Blanco and in unusually good shape. The purchase price of the building is $36,000. This purchase does not easily fit in our present budget so that we have to make a special appeal for funds for that purpose. This will bring more sustainability to ETAP. Please see fotos of the building with the new students of the fifth promotion (2010-2012) in the annex 2.

7. CONCLUSION

After their studies at ETAP, when students succeed in finding a job, they and their families will benefit from a significant economic resource. Moreover, as they will be involved in water projects in rural areas, thanks to this school, they will be able to develop clean water systems and improve health and life of rural communities in Nicaragua. Again we sincerely thank the organizations that finance the scholarships, because without them none of this would be possible



ANNEX 1

DETAIL OF TOPICS

• Surveying and Mapping: This topic includes measurement of land, measuring land extensions, route profiles, leveling, error estimation, and volume calculations. The student also knows how to use all instruments such as theodolites, GPS, hand levels, total stations. Surveying and mapping work continues through the entire course, practical work in the field and classroom exercises conducted in areas near Rio Blanco. Students can use the theodolite and hand level for any surveying work and to produce drawings and maps showing field in three dimensions. All work on the field and field notes are conform to standards of professional surveyors. The drawings and maps can be produced at hand and computer, using Excel and AutoCAD.

• Mathematics: This course is a review required for all students to reach the level of mathematics required in the other branches of the course. It includes all the rules of basic algebra, sequence of operations, factoring polynomials, exponents, averages, and graphing functions of one variable. This course includes also topics such as measures, metric and imperial units, approximations, basic statistics (means ...), algebra (functions of one or more variables), linear functions, higher-order functions, graphing curves (straight lines, parabolas, circles), trigonometry.

• Computer: The computer course includes instruction in the use of programs such as Word and Excel (Microsoft), AutoCAD (AutoDesk), Er Viewer, Microstation, topographic calculations, Map Source. Students also learn to use own software of Agua Para La Vida for design of drinking water systems, these are Air In Pipes and Neatwork. The use of the computer is part of most of other modules. So the student uses the computer continuously throughout the course.

• Technical Communication: Written communication and oral presentations are considered as critical for a technician of any profession. Practice in written communication continues through the entire course and is used in reports, summaries of reading, business letters, and technical reports. Students must make two oral presentations on technical topics of interest during the course. In addition, students are assigned topics to read and expose to the rest of the class in order to improve reading comprehension skills.

• Project Management: This topic includes how to put together all aspects of managing a drinking water project (or construction in general). It includes an overview of all technical and non-technical issues such as organizing people and workers, budgeting, construction management, surveying and evaluation of projects, planning for the long term, roles and



legal responsibilities, project partners, common errors, health issues, maintenance, logistics, reporting and control processes.

• Applied Hydraulics: This course teaches all hydraulics knowledge needed to design water systems using piping. It includes pressure systems and flow in open channels. Beginning with the hydrostatic, we go to the Bernoulli equation and an examination of formulas for approximation of energy loss through a system. A comparison of various types of pipe and flow modes is included in this course. Flow in open channels with an introduction to methods in hydrology using Manning's equation and Euler's theorem. Knowledge of this course is applied to design of water systems and design of tanks and reservoirs.

• Design of Drinking Water Systems: This theme is the application of several others, to produce a workable design for a complete system of drinking water. It includes design of catchments (water spring), tube size selection based on water demand and level differences, use of pumps, location and details of construction of tanks, and location of waterstands. This course includes the use of computer programs of APLV, as Neatwork and Air In Pipes, for the detailed design. Before to use this software the student has to understand the theory of every aspect of the design process. In addition, the student will calculate quantities of materials required for the design and material prices, transportation, labor (skilled and unskilled), and prepare a budget and timetable for implementing the project.

• Water Quality and Treatment: To determine water quality with standards methods and to treat water up to drinking conditions. Topics such as bacteriological, turbidity, chlorine demand, pH, sedimentation, flocculation, filtration and disinfection are included. Drainage water control and wastewater treatment are included in this course. It includes also a visit of a water treatment plant and potable water treatment plant.

• Static: An Introduction to the basic laws of Newtonian physics and the implications for design of structures in water systems (bridges, tanks…). It includes basic analysis of beams and columns as structural elements and the optimization of reinforcement in concrete structures.

• Construction Materials: A reexamination of the physical properties of the materials used by designers of drinking water systems. These include the properties of water, air, various types of soils, concrete, plastic and steel.



ANEXO 2

The building of ETAP school – Rio Blanco

Students of the fifth promotion in front of the school



The classroom

Where the students of the fifth promotion come from



School sign on the house View of the house from the plot

The kitchen Learning cooking together

A bedroom for four students One of the two bathroom



The dining room

First outing to a water projet for the fifth promotion

Presentation ETAP 05-2010 english -...

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