The TBK Bank team in El Salvador got off to a great start during their first day in Santiago Nonualco! They began with a tour of the community on which the team explored the area they will be serving for the week. They learned the well they are digging is expected to serve over 200 people!
Following the tour, the team went right to work digging the well and teaching hygiene lessons. Early in the day, the drill team was forced to stop drilling because the soil was too soft. They worked with Living Water staff to make a mixture of bentonite and water to help solidify the soil around the well which allowed them to continue. By the end of the day, team made it to a depth of 40 feet. TBK Bank’s past wells range anywhere from 100 to 200 feet deep, so this is great progress. While the team did not hit water on Monday, they were able to complete their work feeling optimistic about the progress they made.
During this time, the other half of the TBK team taught a hygiene lesson to women and children in the village on the importance of clean water and its role in keeping our bodies’ healthy.
The team also made a friend, an enthusiastic 3-year-old boy named Oscar. During the village tour, the team reported that he ran around the soccer field and did pushups because he was so excited to have them in his village.
We will be back tomorrow afternoon with another update of the TBK Bank team’s progress!