Pete Virag has over 20 years' experience in technology solutions focused on field data collection. He is currently a technology initiatives group leader for Weston Solutions, Inc., an employee-owned environment, redevelopment, and construction firm. Virag took time off from his job to lead implementation of a data collection and reporting system in Honduras for a pilot project sponsored by Water For People - a nonprofit organization that supports safe drinking water and sanitation projects in developing countries.
The goal of the volunteer assignment was to evaluate Water For People's past projects to ensure that the water and sanitation systems put in place years ago were still functioning as planned and continuing to provide Hondurans with safe drinking water.
Virag said, "The Water For People monitoring project is no different from the work we do for our clients on a daily basis. We go into the field, collect data electronically on tablet PCs or PDAs, take digital photos, associate photos with the data, and synchronize data to a central database." The innovative program incorporates state-of-the-art geospatial technologies to accurately map the location of every Water For People installation.
After developing the research methodology, Virag went to Honduras in late August for a field test. Virag and a team of volunteers and staff spent two weeks visiting 33 project sites supported by Water For People. The results of the pilot study were encouraging. Nearly all of the water systems installed over the past 10 years with the support of Water For People were still functioning. And members of site communities were engaged in ensuring ongoing operations.
Virag thoroughly enjoyed his involvement in the project and having the opportunity to visit rural Honduras. "It's an incredibly majestic country," he said. "And the people are so warm, friendly, and appreciative of the help. Here are people who are struggling to survive, yet they were always eager to prepare lunch for our team with what little they had. It was quite a reality check.
