Venezuela remains on the brink, millions flee, millions suffer... Will you help us return hope to a desperate family?

This is DRutter, and you're reading week 42 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. Those who can are fleeing on foot - 6 million already. 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 man called Guaidó, who also has little public support. Electrical blackouts happen regularly. Violence is always just around the corner. 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 harvested avocado and banana from his plot this week. Without proper water, he relies on rain to keep his crops - and family - alive. Much of this will be traded for medicine, diapers, cooking fuel, even water. )

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!

STEEM falling value reduces us from 10% to 9% complete

As I mentioned on my latest video, STEEM's price continues to slide, even as the overall cryptocurrency market goes up, or consolidates sideways. It has fallen to the #77th spot on the cryptocap list, losing ground to nearly-unknown fly-by-night tokens and pump-and-dump coins. If Steem can't recover (for example, if the community moves on) then things have only begun to hurt. But if Steem is destined to recover eventually, then all we have to do is wait. Our holdings will appreciate to the 1300 USD mark at some point!

But how would it feel to have to wait, for drinking water?

I wonder how it would be to rely on factors outside my control (such as weather) in order to provide food for my children. How scary it would be for me, if at any time a dry patch of weather could result in sickness and/or death in my family. How a bad day fishing could mean going to bed hungry. Only briefly in my life have I lived somewhere there wasn't a supermarket available, stocked with food. It was hard even for short periods of time. These people are living through that never-ending nightmare right now, and many have already died, or fled on foot if they were able. Elderly, young families, many people have little to no food, water, medicine, or hope. What was once a great country and prosperous people, there is now a ruined society being plundered by corrupt despots.

Surely, bringing water back to a neighborhood is a good step. It's within our grasp to fund this project and make the water flow. The only barrier is potential contributors avoiding sending in their best possible direct donation, and upvoting these posts. Everything else is in place. Incredible things are set to occur once that bottleneck gets opened up!

Will you make the water flow, with us?

Much appreciation to those who upvoted last week:

Week 42

week 41 funds: 331.137 Steem

new funds:

• week 41 post payout = 0.253 SBD and 0.737 STEEM POWER = 1.474 Steem
• 0.5 Steem direct donation from @MediKatie
• you can send me Steem directly and your donation will be noted here

Total funds: 333.111 Steem

x 0.348 USD/Steem = $115.92 USD (of $1300)

Current progress: 8.9%

We did more "backsliding" this week, but we can't get discouraged. It happens from time to time. If Steem survives, we'll succeed. So when will the price of STEEM turn around? All we need is for it to reach $4 again, and we'll have more than we need to buy and install the pump! Bitcoin has already tripled in price since Christmas, and the rest of the market is rising fast, too. We're in the only boat that isn't rising! Hopefully that changes, soon. People's health may depend on it!

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. Edgar was a professional man, and now picks wild fruit, and fishes in dangerous waters, to keep his family eating! They have waited for water long enough. Let's get this funded. If you don't have much to give right now, maybe you could Resteem this post, to bring in more potential contributors?

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