“I built a solar water heater and a shower on a weekend. From recycled materials, you will learn how to use solar energy to heat water and provide a warm shower to families from vulnerable neighborhoods. “This is the proposal of the Argentine social organization, Sumando Energías.
Although it is almost 2018, many people in the world still do not have basic services such as water, drainage and electricity, making their lives precarious and unhealthy.
But in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where 1/3 of the population lives with deficient services in their homes, a project emerged to alleviate this problem. A group of volunteers meets every Saturday in a different vulnerable home to build a bathroom with hot water, with the particularity that recycled materials are used such as PET bottles, polyethylene, aluminum cans, and a few technical resources.
The project also highlights the volunteer work of the team, involving young people and children, for the construction of a complete bathroom that works with solar energy.
“Having hot water and cold water at the same time … it’s perfect,” says Evelina, a mom who already has her own solar bath in her backyard.
“I do not have words to describe what they are doing for me, the truth is that I can not believe the issue of hot water with the sun,” says a young man who has received the help of this team.
The system is simple and efficient, the sun heats the tubes formed with the recycled materials to permanently supply hot water to the shower and wash. They also make the adaptation of the bathroom to be as hygienic as possible.
How volunteering works
Volunteers are diverse, but they have the common denominator of learning real sustainable solutions, practical and accessible, while helping those who have unmet basic needs.
Weekly workshops are held to build the solar bath while sharing the construction and teaching with the inhabitants of the neighborhood.
The project has the support of some companies with areas of social responsibility. Some even send their employees to participate and collaborate with the workshops.
“I did not imagine how garbage can be transformed into something as practical as a solar shower,” said Cristian Contreras, an architect student, one of the participants in the workshop.
Pablo Castaño, creator of Sumando Energías , hopes that this project transcends the borders of Argentina and reaches other parts of the world where it is necessary to improve hygiene and hot water services.
source: http://bit.ly/2ExYizf
