Staff Spotlight: Eva Jiménez, Honduras Volunteer

By Olivia Laramie, PWW Student Intern

Eva Jiménez began working as a volunteer for Pure Water for the World in Honduras in July 2017. An alumnus of the University of Madrid, Eva received her Bachelor Degree in Biology, with a focus in environmental and water quality. She later went on to get a Masters Degree in Environmental Science.

A native of Spain, following graduation, Eva found herself looking for jobs during a financial crisis. She spotted a posting for a WASH program manager position with Doctors Without Borders. Intrigued by the job posting, Eva began to research the WASH field more and found herself amazed by the simple and effective solutions available. Inspired, she began to pursue work for an international WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) organization to gain some experience in this field.

Eva started as a volunteer for Seeds Of Hope International Partnership in Zambia. She became incredibly passionate about international WASH organizations and wanted to continue on in that field. After doing some research of WASH techniques, she decided to apply for PWW’s yearlong volunteer position, and we are very excited to have her on the team.

Eva (white t-shirt) building latrines with a group of volunteers.

At the PWW office in Trojes, Honduras, Eva volunteers in the field and the office. Her duties in the field include latrine building with the communities, water quality analysis, and facilitating workshops within the communities. For her, fieldwork is the most impactful part of her experiences at PWW. “It’s where you see how the people live and how they are fighting to live in better conditions,” Eva shares.

Eva is also a vital contributor to the PWW blog, Water-Blogged, to which she brings her knowledgeable and passionate voice to her writing. Although she didn’t intend on writing for PWW, when asked to do so, she more than happily obliged.

“I love working here,” Eva shares. “I have really found my passion in WASH and writing about my experiences in the field helps me share that passion.”

Eva said that there are, of course, tricky parts to working within the communities, such as language barriers and a lack of awareness around WASH projects, but the hard work is worth it. “You have to learn how to adapt your technical speech to more layperson terms. Everyone needs to understand how to build latrines and help their communities.”

“PWW really works hard to empower the populations we work with. Community leaders feel comfortable asking for help,” Eva says. “They’re comfortable asking about latrines and filters.”

Eva brings joy and fun to her work.

Eva has found that her favorite part of working for PWW are the people she gets to meet and work with on a daily basis. During a virtual tour of the office, Eva explained the bonds she has created with her coworkers, as the workspace is very communal and all of the projects are hands-on and team based.

“My workmates,” she says, “are working so hard every day, every week. I get to know these amazing people and I get to know the amazing locals of Honduras that we’re here to assist.”