Hi, this is DRutter, and here's week 47 of Mission: Agua-Possible! 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 documented homeless and sick people on the street last week, pointing out that the crisis has affected everyone. )

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.

Further collapse of the STEEM currency leaves the project in limbo

We received a few upvotes but no direct donations, and STEEM fell an additional 25% this week, swallowing up about a quarter of the progress we had struggled to achieve. We're further away from 1300 USD than we've been in a few weeks, despite the heavy donations we've been getting. There's just no way to compete against a currency falling in value so drastically. And yet, what else can we do but keep trying, and hope STEEM recovers at some point?

Will you make the water flow, with us?

Much appreciation to those who upvoted last week:

Week 47

week 46 funds: 865.725 Steem

new funds:

• week 46 post payout = 0.006 SBD, 2.829 STEEM and 2.858 STEEM POWER = 5.716 Steem
• you can send me Steem directly and your donation will be noted here

Total funds: 871.441 Steem

x 0.191 USD/Steem = $166.45 USD (of $1300)

Current progress: 12.8%

It was a rough week for our project, and for Edgar's family, as we got further away from our goal because STEEM's value keeps falling. I feel somewhat helpless because I can't complete the project, and I can't give up. I'm forced to continue posting these updates, putting out my time, energy, and risk, with no control over the process. Imagine how Edgar feels, after 47 weeks without running water in his home, without irrigation for the crops to feed his family, relying on hard work and luck to keep going, always at risk of injury or sickness which would probably mean death.

I can understand if you've supported this project and now feel similarly. This wasn't at all my intention. I just hope there's a turnaround soon. The 871 Steem we've got right now would almost be enough to buy the pump, if we could send it back in time 47 weeks (Steem was about a dollar each at the time). But now it's only 1/8th of the required funds.

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