As she carefully tends the buds on her trees and feeds the animals she raises, it’s clear that soft-spoken Carolina Torrico is proud of her work. With bright eyes peeking out from under her flat-brimmed hat, Carolina waters her peach and apple trees and shows off her prized baby rabbits.
Hace tres años, Carolina se mudó al pequeño pueblo de Monte Monte, en este tranquilo y apartado valle de la zona rural de Bolivia.
“Vivía en una comunidad cercana, luego me casé y me mudé a Monte Monte”, dice Carolina. “Pero aquí no había agua”.
Each day, Carolina would have to leave home at five or six in the morning to walk to the neighboring town and fill up a 20-liter bucket with water. Her two young daughters would go with her, helping her by carrying water in smaller bottles. Together they had to collect enough water each day to drink, bathe, and cook, but also to water the family’s trees and give to their animals.
"Si necesitaba más agua ese día, tenía que volver", dijo. "A menudo tenía que ir a buscar agua varias veces al día para regar mis árboles de duraznos y manzanos".
Despite going to so much trouble to collect this water, it still wasn’t safe to drink, and Carolina says sometimes the water would make her daughters sick.
Carolina and a few others in Monte Monte were determined to have a safe water source for their own town. They walked to the mayor’s office in their district of Arani – a several mile journey along dusty mountain roads – to tell her that their community needed water. Because Carolina was at the forefront of promoting safe water for Monte Monte, the town elected her to be the secretary of the water committee that would oversee this initiative.
"It was a post I couldn’t refuse," Carolina said.
With support from the district government and Water For People, Monte Monte planned for a brand new water system. Since it was completed, Carolina and the 12 other families in the community have water whenever they need it – no more hours wasted walking to the neighboring town or days spent sick from drinking contaminated water. For Carolina and all of Monte Monte, having a safe water connection at their homes has been a big change.
"There is a huge difference," she says. "It’s much easier now. I can use water whenever I want, my daughters can bathe, and I can give water to the animals I raise."
Carolina está especialmente emocionada por ampliar su pequeña granja. Su región es conocida por sus duraznos y ya ha podido regar sus árboles con más frecuencia y traer más productos para vender en los mercados cercanos.
“Mi sueño es hacer crecer mi finca y tener más árboles de durazno en una plantación más grande”, dice Carolina.
Carolina’s hard work to get water to Monte Monte has paid off. Her family is healthier, she’s gained back time in every day, and the little farm she loves so much is growing and providing for her daughters. Thanks to her hard work and the work of so many others like her, every family in her district has reliable water services and can look forward to a healthier and secure future.
