Clean Water for Rural Honduras

“We need to protect the environment because the environment is our life... If [we] don’t, I think we will be left without water.” In her recent interview with EcoLogic Kenia reflects about her personal experience as a member of a Water Committee in rural Honduras.

In the village of San Lorenzo,  Kenia lives with her husband and two daughters.  She describes San Lorenzo as a beautiful community of about 30 families where small-scale cattle ranching and farming are the primary livelihoods.  Growing up, Kenia observed and was inspired by her parents’ strong involvement and contributions to their community. She wanted to follow in their footsteps.  Now, when there is a problem,  such as a water shortage or community disagreement, people call on Kenia.  As a community leader, she welcomes her neighbors with open arms into her home, where she does what she can to resolve the matter.  

When it comes to the community’s need for clean water, Kenia has played an active role as a member of their water committee for about 15 years, through the Association of Water Committees of the Southern Sector of Pico Bonito National Park (AJAASSPIB in Spanish), one of EcoLogic’s local partners in Honduras. Before AJAASSPIB’s involvement, Kenia says that her community struggled with a lack of organization in managing its microwatershed.  Thanks to AJAASSPIB and EcoLogic’s help and educational workshops, however, Kenia’s community has seen some very positive changes. For EcoLogic, sustainably managing a microwatershed means providing resources to help communities like San Lorenzo reforest degraded land in their microwatersheds in order to reverse damaging erosion and protect the health of the area’s brooks and springs. They now have reliable access to potable water and community members have been making their payments.  

They use the funds collected from water users to keep the microwatersheds in good condition.  According to Kenia, the people in her community understand their water situation and when they have problems, they bring them to the committee.  The committee then works with the help of AJAASSPIB to resolve them.  As Kenia proudly puts it, “Everyone has been collaborating…we resolve any problem and continue moving forward. We support each other.”      

The water committee and AJAASSPIB have been working hard introducing new fuel-efficient stoves in local homes. When asked if she has seen a reduction in firewood use and health improvements in her community since the introduction of these stoves, Kenia replied, “Of course! People, women in particular, are very happy and grateful...”  She went on to explain how, thanks to the new stoves, there are no longer dangerous levels of smoke--that can trigger serious health problems--filling homes.      

Although Kenia and her community have taken tremendous steps forward for their society and environment, there is still much work that remains.  For instance, they are currently dealing with a pine beetle infestation in and around the microwatersheds that has advanced fairly quickly and is causing harm to the trees.  Kenia says her community is worried and looks forward to finding a solution to this problem with the help of the national forestry institute (ICF) and local organizations.  

Despite the myriad of challenges Honduras and its people continue to face, one must admire Kenia’s continuously optimistic and positive tone throughout her entire interview. With every piece of good news she shares, she quickly follows it with the exclamation: “We are so happy!” or “We are so grateful!”  There is no denying the positive impact organizations like AJAASSPIB and local water committees have had not only on the environment and access to clean water, but also socially.  Workshops, meetings, and community planning have helped bring communities together under the common interest of protecting their water sources, and, as Kenia would add, their source of life.