Honduras Program Update: April 2008Completed Projects: San Gabriel and Agua CalienteThanks to contributions from Water 1st donors and lots of hard work by the 310 people of San Gabriel and the 270 people of Agua Caliente, these projects are now complete. Agua Caliente ProjectThe community of Agua Caliente, population 270, sits amid the half-dried, half-forested hills detached from the country's economic centers and basic public services. Due to rapid deforestation of the region, traditional water sources are disappearing, forcing families to walk farther and farther each year to find water, especially during the dry season. The people of Agua Caliente are subsistence farmers, growing mainly corn and beans, and lack most basic services—water, latrines, schools, roads, electricity. COCEPRADIL conducted a baseline survey in July 2007 and found the following:
“We have many needs, as we lack most everything here,” said Mayor Alvarado Diaz, “but the highest priority is water.” With the assistance of our local partner organization, the community of Agua Caliente implemented a sustainable water supply system - mountain spring-fed, gravity-flow systems with taps outside each household and with drainage for wash water. A 0.6-mile long transmission pipeline carries the water from the spring cap and filter downhill to a 3,500 gallon water storage tank. The storage tank ensures that families have water 24 hours/day, even during high demand periods. A 4.5-mile network of distribution pipeline then brings the water to outdoor wash basins located at each household. The wash basins are built with a drainage pit to prevent grey water from puddling and creating a breeding ground for mosquitos. Each household also constructed a pour-flush toilet. A follow up survey will be conducted in Agua Caliente to assess the sustainability of the project as well as to follow up on the effectives of the hygiene education program (e.g. a survey of the use of latrines). Construction in San GabrielConstruction on this project began in June 2006. A mountain spring, uphill from San Gabriel, was identified and tested for water quality and flow rate. Water 1st staff visited San Gabriel in August 2006 to see progress on construction of the transmission pipeline excavation and spring capture box, including fencing to protect the water source water from livestock and wildlife. The spring cap took the community members about two months to construct. The work crew described their labor for us: they would leave their homes each day at about 3 am, walk uphill to the construction site for three to four hours, work a full day, and return back home at 6 pm. A 3-mile long transmission pipeline carries the water from the spring cap downhill to a 6,500 gallon water storage tank. The storage tank ensures that families have water 24 hours/day, even during high demand periods. A 3.8-mile network of distribution pipeline then brings the water to outdoor wash basins located at each household. The wash basins are built with a drainage pit to prevent grey water from puddling and creating a breeding ground for mosquitos. "I don't know how to describe my feelings about our water project. It feels like we've won the lottery," said one San Gabriel community members. "I was speaking to a man from a neighboring village and he asked how San Gabriel is so lucky to have a water project. I told him to keep dreaming and keep praying and one day it will happen for them too." Each household also constructed a pour-flush toilet. This is similar to the toilets we have in our homes, except that you fill and bucket with water and pour it into the bowl for flushing. The water seal on this type of toilets prevents odors from escaping and also prevents the spread of diseases by stopping flies and other insects from going into (and out of) the pit. The San Gabriel project includes a new element for our partner organization, COCEPRADIL: household water containers with spigots and lids have been provided to each household. The containers will help maintain water quality while drinking water is stored, which is often when clean water can become recontaminated as people dip their hands into traditional water storage containers. Households have received training in proper use of the containers, including the use and benefits of chlorination, during the hygiene education component of the project. Community members contributed local materials such as sand and gravel and all the labor for this project, often dedicating half of their work week to the project. This is no small contribution for these subsistence farmers. With no roads leading to the spring or storage tank sites, all the materials are carried in by mule or on the back of one of the community members. Over 300 bags of cement mix, each weighing about 100 pounds, and thousands of feet of pipe had to be carried for up to six miles. Community organization and trainingCOCEPRADIL has conducted 5 training workshops with San Gabriel covering the following topics:
At least one adult female and one adult male member of each household participated in each of the 5-day training modules. This is a big commitment on the part of these villagers who are still carrying water while the project is being constructed and also supporting their families through subsistence agriculture. "I truly believe this latrine will make our lives better," said Maria Celia Oriana, who lives in San Gabriel with two of her grandchildren. "We learned about the need for latrines and better sanitation for improving our health. Our community is beautiful, but we need to make changes to make our health better." As usual, we were impressed with our Honduran partner organization's construction techniques during our project site visits. They do not cut corners. The end product is a system that functions well and looks good. More than waterThe changes this project will bring go well beyond the health benefits. during our visit, we spoke with Gracia Alberto, the teacher of San Gabriel. Single-handedly, in a room with dirt floors and no materials except for an old chalk board, she teachers 64 students each day in grades 1-6. She told us the porject will be a significant change for the people of San Gabriel, especially the children. "There is a huge problem with water in this community right now. The children have to miss school because they are walking to the waterholes. The children also have a lot of illnesses, from drinking the water and also from poor personal hygiene. We would like to serve lunches to the children, but we can’t prepare them here now, because there is no water. The new water project is going to have a huge affect on this community. The project will benefit everyone – the children, their parents, and the school." Because the children will be healthier, Gracia thinks they will be able to concentrate more on their studies. COCEPRADIL has conducted 3 training workshops with Agua Caliente covering the following topics:
The project is on track to be complete in March/April 2008.
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"I am 73 years old and I live here in Agua Caliente with one of my grandchildren. I collect water from the nearby springs, but in the summer, those are usually dry so I walk farther to a small river. I’m old, and I can’t carry very much water, so I make 5 trips in the morning to get water and then another 4 trips in the afternoon. It’s hard work, and sometimes I drop my container and it breaks."
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