Another exhausting day! In the morning, I went to UNIS, where I met up with Mr. Buckner, Mrs. Bracewell, Mr. Rees and the several of the other members of the regular Thuy An group which visits the orphanage every so often. At about 8:00, we left for the orphanage. Upon our arrival, I had a chance to look around the facility and get an idea of the terrain and landscape which we would be dealing with. The plan was initially to dig a trench and lay PVC pipe from the first garden by the pond to the tea garden a good 150 meters away. We would then somehow install the irrigation system on the tea garden with the pumped water. We deliberated for some time over how we might accomplish this challenging feat given the various obstacles we had to go past, including two paved roads, part of a small parking lot and several brick fences. The possibility of running the pipe line along the walls of some of the building was proposed, but that introduced various additional challenges as the . Ultimately however, we were able to speak with the director, who had some ideas about how we could set up the system. He had planned on bringing someone in or having his own staff dig the trench for the piping. However, he wanted us to provide the piping and a new and stronger pump to pump the pond water all the way to the current garden (which the current pump already accomplishes) as well as to the more distant tea garden. We could then use the old pump to pump the water from the pond again so it can fill a tank, and from there water the garden. For the watering, we still plan on using a drip system, now via a pump and tank (the specific mechanics are yet to be worked out).
The director also noted that a shop nearby carried the pumps. We decided to go check it out and maybe try to have the pump man come and check out our situation. Unfortunately, we struggled to find this shop, and the shopkeeper at the shop we did find wasn't particularly helpful. We also asked about the PVC piping, and the proposed price was roughly twice what another source had suggested. We then returned to the orphanage and decided we would make notes on the land and take back what we knew about the distances and elevation to Hanoi, where we could decide what to purchase and then bring it out to the orphanage with us on another trip.
So for the following hour or so, the three of us (Mr. Buckner, Mr. Rees and myself) stood out in the sweltering heat and intense humidity and measured the distances the pipe might need to cover and (roughly) the corresponding changes in elevation. With this information, we hope to speak with an expert on water pumps and get a recommendation on what kind of pump we need as well as purchase the appropriate length of pipe.
Between all of our deliberation, the clothes I had had made were distributed. I wasn't able to witness it, but Mrs. Bracewell told me the kids were very excited about the new clothes. I also was able to speak with the nurse there, who gave me a list, in addition to one from the UNIS nurse, of medical supplies the orphanage was in need of. Hopefully, I will be able to provide some of these supplies.
There is still much to do, but this first visit to the orphanage has been key in helping me further focus on and sort out the specific logistical details of the project.
The director also noted that a shop nearby carried the pumps. We decided to go check it out and maybe try to have the pump man come and check out our situation. Unfortunately, we struggled to find this shop, and the shopkeeper at the shop we did find wasn't particularly helpful. We also asked about the PVC piping, and the proposed price was roughly twice what another source had suggested. We then returned to the orphanage and decided we would make notes on the land and take back what we knew about the distances and elevation to Hanoi, where we could decide what to purchase and then bring it out to the orphanage with us on another trip.
So for the following hour or so, the three of us (Mr. Buckner, Mr. Rees and myself) stood out in the sweltering heat and intense humidity and measured the distances the pipe might need to cover and (roughly) the corresponding changes in elevation. With this information, we hope to speak with an expert on water pumps and get a recommendation on what kind of pump we need as well as purchase the appropriate length of pipe.
Between all of our deliberation, the clothes I had had made were distributed. I wasn't able to witness it, but Mrs. Bracewell told me the kids were very excited about the new clothes. I also was able to speak with the nurse there, who gave me a list, in addition to one from the UNIS nurse, of medical supplies the orphanage was in need of. Hopefully, I will be able to provide some of these supplies.
There is still much to do, but this first visit to the orphanage has been key in helping me further focus on and sort out the specific logistical details of the project.