[ Mission: Agua-Possible ] just hit 25% complete! 2020 will be the year we bring water back to Edgar's family!

I'm DRutter, and this is the 67^th weekly post for Mission: Agua-Possible! It 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, 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 - 8 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

In mid-2018 I found @edgargonzalez, the blog of Edgar, 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, harvesting fruits, and growing cassava on his late-father's plantation. He uses the Steem blockchain to share his stories and earn cryptocurrency 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 harvests are reduced - and the neighborhood must forage for water elsewhere.

( Edgar hasn't returned to the blockchain since last week, when he informed followers he is having trouble getting basic food and propane for his home. Unrest has increased in Venezuela in the past few weeks again. Hopefully he is okay. )

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.

Community support keeps MAP moving along

Crypto prices had another bloodbath this week, especially STEEM, which means our holdings crashed in value. Luckily, we had support from the community in various forms - enough to (almost entirely) keep us from backsliding!

BIG thanks to everybody who pitched in to keep us from going backwards, which never feels nice. Let's hope the coming week is another week FORWARD!

Will you make the water flow, with us?

Much appreciation to those who upvoted last week:

Week 67

week 66 funds: 2322.063 Steem

new funds:

• week 66 post payout = 9.484 STEEM and 9.484 STEEM POWER = 18.968 Steem
• 20.0 STEEM direct donation from @streetstyle
• 3.0 STEEM direct donation from @aulia1993
• 7.225 STEEM direct donation from @zekepickleman (with @davedickeyyall on the assist)
• 5.0 STEEM direct donation from @phoenixwren
• 1.0 STEEM tip from @davedickeyyall
• 1.0 STEEM tip from @melinda010100
• 100.0 STEEM direct donation from @indigoocean
• 37.0 STEEM support post from @xpilar and Steemlove
• you can send me Steem directly and your donation will be noted here

Total funds: 2515.256 Steem

x 0.129 USD/Steem = $324.47 USD (of $1300)

Current progress: 25.0%

Wow, we passed 2500 STEEM this week! And we managed to hang on to the ¹/₄ mark. The drop in STEEM from .140 to .127 plunged our holdings into the red, but thanks to the community, we clawed our way back up to even!

• generous donations from @streetstyle, @xpilar, and @indigoocean
• significant upvotes from @reflektor, @xpilar, @hingsten, @bippe, and more
• many smaller upvotes and donations that add up

Thanks to @xpilar's support post here! He pledged all the proceeds to our project, which totalled 37.0 Steem.

Edgar's holiday water gift

We decided a few weeks ago to collect some extra funds to get Edgar's family a few jugs of clean water to make the holidays less stressful. We pooled several STEEM and then @Kunschj's 100 STEEM donation brought it up to a value of $15 USD! That will surely help in the meantime, while we continue to build up progress toward the pump.

Unfortunately, Edgar apparently has not been able to connect to the internet at all this week. He hasn't posted or even commented anywhere. Therefore, the 107.113 STEEM, which will become his whenever he claims it, is liquid in my account and ready to be transferred.

Hopefully he is just busy with his family, and not having trouble with the internet, or electricity. Unrest has been growing again recently and the news is mentioning Venezuela more, so it will be nice to hear form him when he checks in!

Criticism

We received some criticism this week, for the project's support of Edgar. There was also a suggestion that Edgar isn't as needy as we believe. I don't agree with that opinion, but if anyone else wants to read the conversation and give their input, please feel free to do so.

As far as I'm aware, Edgar does indeed deserve some support from the community, and will benefit greatly (as will his wife and kids) when we pay for a pump and installation, to bring running water back up from the aquifer under his farming plot. I don't think it's Edgar's fault the pump finally burned out (due to electrical outages), and I don't think he has the means to replace it right now, since his job disappeared because of the current political crisis in the country. Millions have fled the region, for a reason. It's hard to keep going there. Let's stand behind Edgar, not victim-shame him or criticize his political beliefs. He's a good and peaceful man, who has elders and young children in his care, who genuinely could use some help getting back on his feet after devastating losses that weren't his fault. We can and should do something - and we are! :)

To everyone in the Mission Agua Possible 'family', all the contributors and viewers and supporters, to Edgar and his family, and everyone else on the Steem blockchain: Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, and a wonderful New Year in 2020!

Upvoting this post is MUCH appreciated! 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