Laurel Galán, is a community located about 10 kilometers from San Carlos. It has five sectors and a population of 1,400 people. In 2011 Self-Help staff visited the community to establish a Water Committee that would examine
Laurel Galán’s water quality and at the same time promote the CTI-8 Chlorinators.
In June 2012, Self-Help installed the first chlorinator in the community. It was set in a concrete collector with the capacity of 34 cubic meters of water.
The beneficiaries are really happy with the results of this new technology and found that improving drinking water has had a direct impact on the health of their families. On behalf of the community, the Water Committee President Walter Machado thanked Self-Help International for bringing technology that is good and easy to get and also effectively cleans the water.
According to Nurse Alicia Machado Ocampo, who is in charge of the Health Center at Laurel Galán, the treatment of the water with the CTI-8 Chlorinator has had a positive impact on the community’s health. Now the Health Center staff are collecting data to support their theories.
“The people are healthier, especially children, even though at the beginning they had to get use to drinking the chlorinated water,” said Alicia. “We still need to work on the hygienic practices of this community. Starting with their own homes and family members”.
Alicia said that before using the CTI-8 Chlorinator people used to visit the health center with diarrhea, parasitic disease, and kidney infections among others. Now there are fewer patients with these types of problems.
Some areas of the community are not receiving chlorinated water yet. In this part of the area, the water is stored
in a big metal container. Because of this it has been challenge for the Water Committee and Self-Help to install a CTI-8 Chlorinator.
Thanks to your support, Self-Help International can continue to provide clean water for Laurel Galán and communities just like it.
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Barrison is a trainee at the Self-Help International (SHI) Young Adults Training Center. He travels 16km twice weekly to the center, sometimes on foot. He shares his story …
My name is Barrison Kofi Kamo. I am 36 years and married with a child. Professionally I am a farmer and mason.
There isn’t much land in my community to expand my 5 acre cocoa farm. My services as a mason are virtually not needed in my community. The people live in mud houses that they build themselves.
For several years I have been looking for alternate livelihood. Individuals and groups, including government agencies, have made empty promises. Some even collected money from me but never delivered.
I received the news about the SHI Young Adults Training Centre with a bit of skeptism. I have visited the center three (3) times and I am convinced that my search for an alternate livelihood is over. I recommend the center to every Ghanaian, especially, the youth who are looking for non-existing jobs in the cities.
Thank you for being a part of Barrison's story. With your support of the Young Adults Training Center in Ghana young people in Ghana can find the job training they need to support their families.
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Petronila Chavez Toledo is 43-years-old. She is from Carazo, but around 20 years ago she moved to Melchorita where she lives near the primary school. Petronila has three children - one boy and two girls - all in high school. Her husband, Víctor José Chavez, is a farmer and harvests corn, watermelon and beans.
Petronila got her first loan from Self-Help International in December 2009 for $150. She used the loan to purchase the basic supplies and materials needed to bake bread. In 2012 she received a second loan of $100. She used the funds to purchase limes, corn, beans, eggs, plantain, bananas and more to sell in San Carlos every Thursday and Friday which are good business days in the city.
Petronila paid her loan in the same year and she was able to secure her third loan of $127. This money helped her husband purchase proper supplies used to harvest one quarter of a Manzana of watermelon. A manzana is a Central American unit of area. One Manzana equals 1.68 acres. When the crop was ready, Petronila took the watermelon to San Carlos to sell. The watermelon sales were very successful and allowed her to pay the third loan almost immediately.
In March 2013 she got her fourth loan of $130 dollars and this money was used for the restoration of her oven. See the photos of her baking bread in the oven both before and after it had been restored.
Your continued support is greatly appreciated. It helps women like Petronila grow their businesses and help to support their families. Thank you for being a part of Petronila's story.
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