By Brendan Sieber | Project Co Leader
In interviewing dozens of community leaders over the past five years, we have learned that there is significant variation in water systems and water cleanliness in rural Honduras. Some villages have recently installed new water tanks with chlorination systems. Others have old water tanks and are unable to afford chlorine. Still others lack a community-wide system and rely on a variety of water sources. One example of a village without a decent water system is Valle Arriba, a small agricultural village in the Moroceli Valley in south central Honduras that we have visited twice for medical brigades. With roughly 70 homes and a population of 350 people, Valle Arriba lacks a reliable water system. Many villagers get their water from a small, dirty stream and are unable to filter out parasite-causing bacteria. The funding that we are looking to receive will be spent on water filters. The filters will be bought from our contact at Filter of Hope. Our goal is to provide water filters to each household in Valle Arriba, a small village in the Department of El Paraiso; implement a training program that makes this project sustainable for 10 years; and study the impact of clean water on the rate of parasites and infectious diseases in this community. To complete this important project, we are asking for a total $4,000 (85 filters at $40 each, plus 85 5-gallon buckets at $5.75 each, plus sales tax).
Implementation is another area that we know will work. The implementation of this project will be straightforward yet impactful. Patients go through our brigades as a family - typically a mother and her children. After they see an attending physician they go to our pharmacy. Each household will receive a water filter and bucket when they receive their prescriptions, after which they will learn about how to setup, use, and maintain their filter. This instruction will be conducted in small groups (2-3 families each) and in Spanish. During this time, we will also discuss the direct benefit of using the filter: a reduced likelihood of contracting waterborne illnesses.
Attached is an example of the analytics we gather as an organization. Some say numbers speak louder than words and the analytics on Valle Arriba paint a rather grim picture. Yet, there is always hope! Be the hope our Honduran Partners need.
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