School of Locally Engineered Solutions: Honduras Photo Gallery

The Community

This is the village of Nueva Esperanza as seen from Montana de Luz HIV/AIDS orphanage

Bacteria Testing of Water

Angel and Aimee test the bacteria concentration in the Montana de Luz drinking water.

Chlorination Distribution System Analysis

Daniel and I are testing the water in his community for free chlorine - the active chemical which prevents bacteria growth in drinking water. One side of his village received nearly zero chlorine while the other side operated perfectly. This problem was pinpointed and solved without any extra machinery or electricity usage.

Nueva Esperanza Water Quality

Here we are collecting samples with the local water board from their well. We found that there is an excess of arsenic and iron.

Solar Energy

A single solar panel is situated on the top of this building. This technology was not brought to this community by our group, but it is interesting that the technology exists in this area.

Rain Water Harvesting

The adjustable supports of a rain water collection system installed on the roof of a slaughter house at the Montana de Luz HIV/AIDS orphanage. This water is used for lifestock and irrigation.

Computer Lab at Montana de Luz

This room used to be a morgue at the Montana de Luz HIV/AIDS orphanage in rural Honduras. As more affordable anti-retrovirals have become available, our team converted it into a computer lab using donated computers from the Ohio State University in 2005. Training and maintenance practices are emphasized. Old PCs are replaced annually with further university donations.

12 Ton Concrete Satellite Pad

Roger finishes constructing the pad's frame just before 12 tons of concrete begins to be mixed and poured by hand. The composition of the concrete was calculated to hold the withstand the maximum stresses of the proposed satellite dish.

Arsenic Filtration

A generic carbon filter is dismantled and arsenic removal media is added in hopes of testing its effectiveness on the strange Honduran water. This attempt in 2006 was not successful, but in 2008 a media was discovered which is effective in lowering the arsenic concentration well below the World Health Organization standard.

A Problem Solver in Training

Even young ones are eager to help. Marlone is helping build an alternative chlorine addition mechanism for the Nueva Esperanza water tank.