[Mission: Agua-Possible] Come see our progress toward bringing water back to a thirsty Venezuelan neighborhood!

I'm DRutter, and you found week 35 of Mission: Agua-Possible! This post updates our progress toward the goal of 1300 USD (in STEEM), for a well pump to bring water to the family farm of @EdgarGonzalez.

Background

Severe economic and political crisis over the past few years in the South American country of Venezuela intensified recently, as president Maduro doubled down on his currency manipulation, price-fixing, propagandizing citizens, and suppressing resistance. You've heard about the country's recent turmoil, but the world's media isn't showing us even half the reality!

I began to see more and more Steem users from Venezuela, and I started to hear their interesting stories - and ask questions. I discovered some dark truths about the economic and political situation there. Most shops are empty, the currency is collapsing, people are hungry - the economy is at a standstill. Theft, corruption, and violence escalate as society breaks down. Millions are fleeing on foot - if they can. The harsh socialist government attempts to control/fix the economy, and blames problems on the people. Most government services (like running water) work only in certain areas - or not at all.

The people are desperate for any change and protests sometimes fill the streets for miles. Maduro announced that Venezuela will no longer accept US Dollars for oil exports, then tried to get his country's gold back from Bank of England, who refused. The Russian military has become involved, supporting Maduro. The Americans back a previously-unknown man called Guaidó. Electrical blackouts have become common. It seems that violence is coming. Stability for the people appears out of reach.

Edgar

Months ago, I found the blog of Edgar (@edgargonzalez), a Venezuelan man about my age. He's a father of young children, and a professional whose job disappeared because of the crisis. He feeds his family by fishing, foraging for fruits, and growing cassava on his late-father's plantation. He uses Steemit to share his stories and earn Steem to buy food. Shortly after I met Edgar, a power outage caused a failure of the pump used to bring water up to the farm. A repairman confirmed the pump is beyond fixing. Edgar had been using his well to water his crops, and to provide drinking water to his children and other families in the neighborhood. Without a pump to bring water up from the aquifer, his garden output has dropped - and the neighborhood must forage for water elsewhere.

( Edgar searched his mother's land for mangoes this week, harvesting hundreds. It seems like a lot, but when you realize that this food means life or death for his family, we realize it is not very much. )

Without government water services, and now without water from his well, Edgar and a few other families are in a tough situation. I wondered what a poor Canadian man could do to help. After using the Steem blockchain to learn about the problems, I realized that it could also be the SOLUTION!

That's when I first began Mission Agua-possible! Once we gather 1300 USD worth of Steem, I'll transfer it to Edgar, to be converted to cash to buy the pump.

Getting this pump for the farm as soon as possible is vital. Water is life!

Donations and a rising crypto market helped progress this week

5.0 Steem from @jk6276 and 2.0 Steem from @melinda010100 were added to the pot this week - thank you guys!! Both have been regular commenters and contributors to MAP.

Upvotes were nominal, everything helps. With the donations, and Steem appreciating thanks to the rising cryptocurrency market, our progress is back to the high we got a couple months ago (during the price Spike in Steem). A few more donations, and/or another good week for crypto prices, will see us leaving 7% behind, and finally hitting the double-digits.

Much appreciation to those who upvoted last week:

Week 35

week 34 funds: 251.939 Steem

new funds:

• week 34 post payout = 0.132 SBD and 0.372 STEEM POWER = 0.744 Steem
• 5.0 Steem direct donation from @jk6276
• 2.0 Steem via TipU from @melinda010100
• you can send me Steem directly and your donation will be noted here

Total funds: 259.683 Steem

x 0.349 USD/Steem = $90.63 USD (of $1300)

Current progress: 7.0%

Edgar's family and neighborhood, who relied on the water from the aquifer under his land, continue to go without it. When the pump burned out, quite a few people had to start drinking questionable water, and/or walk long distances carrying containers of water bought or traded for nearby.

I can't imagine that being me, but a few years ago, neither could the people of Venezuela! Edgar was a professional man, and now picks wild fruit, and fishes in dangerous waters, to keep his family from starvation!

This is no way to continue to go on. These people need a turnaround, right away. Their neighborhoods, traditions, society is dissolving. Water is the start of health. This pump is going to bring good water up from the aquifer again, for many years, watering Edgar's dry crops, and providing drinking water stability for his neighborhood again.

This is one of the best causes I can think of, and that's why I started the project in the first place! For a handful of clicks and small donations, we can come together and provide the funds to pay for a good pump and installation. Edgar is capable of carrying out the purchase and install on that end, I'm organizing and collecting the funds, and you (the reader) is providing the upvotes and donations to power us forward.

We're doing this together! Thank you!

Upvoting this post is appreciated so much! 100% goes to the project.

Mission Agua-Possible will help many people, and inspire other great projects. It's a group success story, playing out on the Steem blockchain. Together, we're going to dramatically improve the lives of a whole neighborhood that really needs it!

DRutter

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And in Spanish, my message this week:

Y en Español, mi mensaje esta semana:

La familia y el vecindario de Edgar, que dependían del agua del acuífero bajo su tierra, continúan sin ella. Cuando la bomba se quemó, bastantes personas tuvieron que empezar a beber agua cuestionable, y/o caminar largas distancias llevando contenedores de agua comprados o comercializados para cerca.

¡No puedo imaginar que sea yo, pero hace unos años, ni el pueblo de Venezuela! Edgar era un hombre profesional, y ahora recoge la fruta silvestre, y los peces en aguas peligrosas, para mantener a su familia de la hambruna!

Esta no es manera de seguir adelante. Esta gente necesita un cambio de rumbo, de inmediato. Sus barrios, tradiciones, la sociedad se está disolviendo. El agua es el comienzo de la salud. Esta bomba va a traer agua buena del acuífero de nuevo, durante muchos años, regar los cultivos secos de Edgar, y proporcionar la estabilidad del agua potable para su barrio de nuevo.

Esta es una de las mejores causas que puedo pensar, y es por eso que empecé el proyecto en primer lugar! Para un puñado de clics y pequeñas donaciones, podemos juntamos y proporcionamos los fondos para pagar una buena bomba e instalación. Edgar es capaz de llevar a cabo la compra e instalar en ese extremo, estoy organizando y recogiendo los fondos, y usted (el lector) está proporcionando los votos y las donaciones para que nos de poder hacia adelante.

¡Estamos haciendo esto juntos! ¡Gracias!

DRutter