Clean Water for Rural Honduras

Dear GlobalGiving supporters,

I recently hosted our volunteer and supporter Warren who visited us from North Carolina. For this update, I will share some of his photos and observations about the work we are carrying out. As Warren says, “I travel to Honduras and Guatemala to see EcoLogic's work with my own eyes, "boots on the ground" (or in the mud really), so to speak.”

• One of the areas I visited was the village of San Martin, which now has 12 “sumideros” or greywater drains - underground concrete and stone cisterns which enable greywater (from bathing and kitchen use, no sewage) to infiltrate into the ground. This protects surface water quality and reduces habitat for mosquitoes that carry dengue - which struck at least 107,000 people and killed at least 175 in Honduras during 2019. Children are especially vulnerable. 
• A sumidero is about 8 feet deep. The family and community contribute rock and all the labor - EcoLogic, in partnership with Arizona Municipality, contributes concrete, pipe, and technical assistance. More sumideros are needed.
• In rural Central America, firewood is the usual household cooking fuel, often burnt in wasteful, unsafe, and unhealthful crude stoves or open fires. EcoLogic and its partners enable families to obtain fuel-efficient stoves, which reduce firewood consumption by about one-half, thus reducing household labor and expense. The smoke is safely vented outdoors where it will not damage the lungs and eyes of the family.
• The recipients contribute some of the cost and most of the labor; they love the efficiency, safety, healthfulness, and cleanliness of these stoves. Obtaining stoves is often a community effort with leadership by women.

We're grateful to Warren for his visit and ongoing support in making these initiatives possible. If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with me at ceuraque@ecologic.org. Or, better yet, come visit us and see for yourself!

In solidarity,

Carlos Euraque, Program Officer, Honduras

EcoLogic Development Fund