2. New wells and school
Day 2 – Spent most of the day driving up the coast to next work site, an irrigation project near Cuddalore that Family Care participated in. The tsunami had wiped out crops and left the ground so salty nothing would grow. Through a 5-step process, beginning with drilling fresh water wells, and then flushing and neutralizing the soil a couple times, this soil can now accommodate crops again.
The nine wells that were dug support 180 acres, with each farming family farming about a one-acre farm.
Now instead of just ONE crop a year, the wells and irrigation system result in 3 crops per year for the farmers!–Quite a financial bonus to these dear folks.
Day 3 – Visited a school that Family Care helped renovate, with the addition of 8 new classrooms as well as bathrooms and shower facilities etc. (Prior to this, the school had no bathroom facilities whatsoever, other than the nearby bushes!) 1200 children from local fishing villages presently attend this school.