Payton’s Water Catchment Project in El Salvador

Located about 45 minutes from San Salvador, Los Mangos has 53 families. The population is served by the Los Mangos Community Health Clinic. The clinic is without water, a condition that hampers its ability to deliver services to the community.

This project will provide a rainwater collection system for the clinic. The system will consist of a tank, a gutter collection system, and piping between the gutters, the tank, and the clinic.

The project was initiated and will be implemented by Payton Phillips Garcia and Jeff Gould. Payton is a Lecturer in the Spanish Department at the University of Southern California, with a longstanding interest in El Salvador and a strong relationship with the Salvadoran community of Los Angeles.

Jeff is an Engineering Contractor in San Pedro, California, who spends much time and does a lot of charitable work in El Salvador. Payton and Jeff will see the project through to completion.

This project is very exciting to Water Charity in that it is the first time that we are attempting to engage and work with an ethnic co mmunity in the U.S. to assist them in giving support to projects in their native country.

Los Angeles has the largest number of Salvadorans of any city outside of El Salvador. Los Angeles and San Salvador are Sister Cities. Many Salvadoran-Americans, in addition to helping family members who remain in El Salvador, are looking to improve living conditions in their homeland.

Support will come from financial contributions from those who are able. For those with limited resources, volunteer effort will be helpful. By generating interest and spreading the word, a larger support base can be developed.

This project is consistent with our objective of doing small, high-impact projects very quickly, utilizing local resources. It is a model project that can be replicated in other communities of El Salvador and elsewhere.

Any public building with a large roof surface, such as a school, health clinic, or community center can be a target candidate. Thus, this type of project can be an adjunct to an education program, a public health program, or a community development program. By joining forces with other assistance efforts, we are able to multiply our impact.

We will publish reports from Payton and Jeff as the project progresses. In the meantime, if you wish to make a donation for this project, click on the Donate button below

You can mail a check in any amount, payable to Water Charity, with the designation “Payton’s Water Catchment Project” to:

Averill Strasser, COO
Water Charity
P.O. Box 368
Crestline, CA 92325-0368

To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE