Agua es Vida! Come help [Mission: Agua-Possible] help thirsty Venezuelans! Water is Life!

Welcome to week 48 of Mission: Agua-Possible! I'm DRutter. This post updates our progress toward the goal of 1300 USD (in STEEM), for a well pump to bring water to the family farm of @EdgarGonzalez.

Background

Severe economic and political crisis over the past few years in the South American country of Venezuela have intensified in 2019, as president Maduro doubled down on his currency manipulation, price-fixing, propaganda, and suppressing resistance. You've heard about the country's recent turmoil, but the world's media isn't showing us even half the reality!

I began to see more and more Steem users from Venezuela, and I started to hear their interesting stories - and ask questions. I discovered some dark truths about the economic and political situation there. Most shops are empty, the currency is collapsing, people are hungry - the economy is at a standstill. Theft, corruption, and violence escalate as society breaks down. Those who can are fleeing on foot - 6 million already. The harsh socialist government attempts to control/fix the economy, and blames problems on the people. Most government services (like running water) work only in certain areas - or not at all.

The people are desperate for any change and protests sometimes fill the streets for miles. Maduro announced that Venezuela will no longer accept US Dollars for oil exports, then tried to get his country's gold back from Bank of England, who refused. The Russian military has become involved, supporting Maduro. The Americans back a man called Guaidó, who also has little public support. Electrical blackouts happen regularly. The US is blockading the country with their navy from the sea. Stability for the people appears out of reach.

Edgar

About a year ago, I found the blog of Edgar (@edgargonzalez), a Venezuelan man about my age. He's a father of young children, and a professional whose job disappeared because of the crisis. He feeds his family by fishing, foraging for fruits, and growing cassava on his late-father's plantation. He uses Steemit to share his stories and earn Steem to buy food. Shortly after I met Edgar, a power outage caused a failure of the pump used to bring water up to the farm. A repairman confirmed the pump is beyond fixing. Edgar had been using his well to water his crops, and to provide drinking water to his children and other families in the neighborhood. Without a pump to bring water up from the aquifer, his garden output has dropped - and the neighborhood must forage for water elsewhere.

( Edgar returned from a risky and exhausting fishing expedition with a good haul this week. "Need forces us," he explains. )

Without government water services, and now without water from his well, Edgar and a few other families are in a tough situation. I wondered what a poor Canadian man could do to help. After using the Steem blockchain to learn about the problems, I realized that it could also be the SOLUTION!

That's when I first began Mission Agua-possible! (The first post was here. I published a special video edition in week 43 here.) Once we gather 1300 USD worth of Steem, I'll transfer it to Edgar, to be converted to cash to buy the pump.

Water is life! Getting this pump for the farm as soon as possible is vital.

Perpetual collapse of the STEEM currency halts progress

We received a few upvotes this week, and a tip from Melinda. I also donated most of my personal payouts. Even so, we're backsliding again. But maybe there's hope.

I've noticed that the people who remain on the Steem blockchain are the believers. They're sticking around, and they're supporting the blockchain ecosystem. Some of them, many in fact, have recently bought more STEEM using fiat currency. Congratulations to them! What a low price to be picking up at, very nice. Let's just hope you caught the knife (and prices don't keep plunging).

I'm hoping some of you, who bought cheap STEEM this week, are going to toss a chunk into [MAP]! If you do, I've got a special offer for you - see below!

Will you make the water flow, with us?

Much appreciation to those who upvoted last week:

Week 48

week 47 funds: 871.441 Steem

new funds:

• week 47 post payout = 0.004 SBD, 2.144 STEEM and 2.166 STEEM POWER = 4.332 Steem
• 3.0 STEEM tip from @melinda010100
• 10.0 STEEM donation from me
• you can send me Steem directly and your donation will be noted here

Total funds: 888.773 Steem

x 0.172 USD/Steem = $152.87 USD (of $1300)

Current progress: 11.8%

It was another brutal week for the project, as the currency lost another 10% - ouch! The total progress of the project was over 15% just a few weeks ago, and is now down below 12%. We're gaining in STEEM, but losing in USDollar value, and it's USDollars that Edgar ultimately needs to purchase the pump. But I've got an idea:

I will match your donations this week, STEEM for STEEM!

That's right, I'm going to donate personal funds of my own, every time anyone else donates to the project this week! If you donate 5 Steem, so will I. If you donate 100 Steem, so will I! (If donations go over 1000 Steem, great, but that's all I've got to give!) This offer can't last, so make your biggest possible donation this week, and see it doubled! Let's take advantage of these low prices for Steem, and give Mission Agua-Possible a huge boost.

Upvoting this post is appreciated so much! 100% goes to the project.

Mission Agua-Possible will help many people, and inspire other great projects. It's a group success story, playing out on the Steem blockchain. Together, we're going to dramatically improve the lives of a whole neighborhood that really needs it!

DRutter