San Luis Community, Nicaragua
When our team arrived in the San Luis Community, 50 families were dependent on an unprotected hand dug well and a protected hand dug well both located a kilometer outside the community to meet all of their water needs. Because of this, families were suffering from diarrhea and severe dehydration among other preventable water related illnesses. The community’s use of pit latrines will help prevent further spread of disease in the area and simultaneously promote good hygiene behaviors. During the team’s stay, community members assembled a CBO (Community Based Organization) who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible, supplied any materials they had available and guarded the team’s equipment during the night.
Our team also helped the community establish sustainability practices to help ensure a future of safe water access. They guided the community in creating a water committee to oversee the care and maintenance of the well. This committee will collect a voluntary fee for water usage to save for future repairs.
A sanitation and hygiene promotion activity for residents. This interactive series of lessons was designed to engage the children and their parents so they could gain a better understanding of how the new well and the safe water you gave them could improve their health.
COMMUNITY DETAILS
| Exact Coordinates: | Latitude: 12.396333 Longitude: -86.859567 |
| Previous Water: | Hand Dug Well |
| Total Users: | 300 |
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
| Pump Type: | Borehole |
| Depth of Well: | 27 m |
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Roseling Pamela Zeron Espinales is an 18-year-old student in Palo Grande. She shared her experience as a young community member: “Lately the water [from our well] came out dark with mud and smelled bad. We assumed that the pipes were dirty.”
Roseling and her neighbors are hopeful for the future of their community. She said, “We love that the staff studied our water and chlorinated it. We have hope that we can to continue to drink safe and clean water without a bad smell.” Roseling and the rest of the Palo Grande community members can have confidence that the water from their revitalized well will never make them sick.
safe drinking water.
drinking water.
