Rotary has Joined in Support of El Pilar Ecko Toilet Project

Rotary has joined in support of El Pilar Ecko Toilet Project

by Dr. George Bunch

The Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club has voted to donate profits from their April 21st wine tasting at the Tannery Arts Center to Santa Cruz al Salvador for our El Pilar area Ecko Toilet Project. The Rotary “Wine 2 Water 4 El Salvador” will include entertainment, food, silent auction, and brief historical sketch about the Tannery from a founding family member.

The Ecko Toilets are a new innovative economic ($650 each installed) prefabricated easy maintenance composting toilet with solar LED light, wash basin, hand rails for safety with easy removable waste disposal basin. This should help keep the water from our previously built wells clean.  So far we have provided funds for 20 of the cinder block/concrete-style composting toilets as well as one pilot Ecko Composting Toilet (pictured above).  We have asked for a budget for delivering and installing 20 of the Ecko Toilets.

On our recent January Delegation visit to El Pilar one new delegate asked “why are all these people lining the roadway” as we entered the sparsely populated rural area, “looks as if they are waiting for a bus!”. Well….. sure enough…..they were waiting for a Bus….Our Bus!” They had arrived early to greet us, join in arts & crafts and dental fluoride for the children and discussion about the plans for installation of the new Ecko Toilets. This previously disorganized scattering of families in poverty seeking a new home are now coming together as an organized community with our assistance on the wells, new composting toilets, and the government providing a local small school, and bringing in electricity to the area.