COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 7, 2022) – Three vulnerable communities in Honduras devastated after back-to-back hurricanes in 2020 are closer to a permanent solution for safe water to flow from household taps, thanks to Food For The Poor donors and Water Mission moving in concert to change lives.
The charity and Water Mission responded immediately after Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020 and installed temporary emergency water treatment systems in Bosques de Santa Lucia, Campo Las Flores and Los Achiotes.
Once the crisis passed, the three communities sought a permanent solution.
Discussions in those communities resulted in plans to build permanent enclosures to protect the new water treatment system and an agreement with each community to collect a small monthly fee to help maintain them. Residents also are receiving training to instill good hygiene practices.
“Safe water access helps prevent the spread of waterborne diseases that cause illness or death,” said George C. Greene IV, PE, CEO and president of Water Mission. “We’re thankful for the continued partnership with Food For The Poor, especially in Honduras where increasing safe water access is bringing hope and restoration to so many communities.”
In Bosques de Santa Lucia, FFTP in-country partner CEPUDO built a permanent enclosure after the treatment system was installed. A commissioning celebration with the community commemorated the milestone.
A safe water committee made up of local residents was elected, and the first cycle of hygiene training has been completed. One resident was trained how to operate the system, which includes regular water quality testing to ensure safe water continues to flow for years to come.
“The safe water project is producing more unity among the residents,” said Donaldo, a resident of Bosques de Santa Lucia. “We have noticed that people who never came to a meeting now are coming. People are learning about the use of safe water with the meetings with Water Mission staff and us. Everybody is more conscious about the correct use of water and how important it is for life.”
Betsal, another resident of Bosques de Santa Lucia, said the project has brought many benefits, including better health and fewer visits to the doctor to treat water-borne illnesses.
“People are talking about it and now they are consuming more safe water,” Betsal said. “We are not suffering from stomach diseases anymore. Before, we would not consume safe water. Now, we do and feel healthy. Now, we have learned how to use safe water.”
Bosques de Santa Lucia is a new sustainable community development being built in phases over five years, providing 145 families with safe shelter, running water and flushable toilets and access to training and economic opportunities so they can lift themselves and future generations out of poverty.
FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine expressed his gratitude to Water Mission and to the charity’s donors for providing a permanent solution to the water needs for families in Bosques de Santa Lucia, Campo Las Flores and Los Achiotes.
“We’re taking a holistic approach to helping families out of poverty, and a major part of that is providing one of the most vital elements to live and thrive: clean drinking water,” Raine said.
The water projects in Honduras are only some of the many projects that FFTP and Water Mission have worked on over the years.
Watch this video to see how FFTP and Water Mission are working together to change lives: https://foodforthepoor.org/bosquesdesantalucia
In Campo Las Flores along the banks of the Ulùa River, flooding after the hurricanes brought more than 3 meters of water washing over the community.
A water tower already existed, but the water was untreated as it was piped to households. The hurricane damaged much of the system.
Water Mission is working to repair damaged equipment and replace pipes.
The community has hired a contractor to build an elevated enclosure to protect the water treatment equipment and electrical controls from future floods. A solar-powered pump and a treatment system are being installed at the well. The safe water will be stored in the community’s water tower before going directly to each household through the new pipes.
Hygiene and management training is underway. The community plans to have the enclosure completed by early June so it can move forward with the installation of the water system.
In 2020, FFTP and CEPUDO started the Los Achiotes sustainable community development for 74 families.
After Hurricanes Eta and Iota, the families were evacuated and relocated to shelters. The new land where the community will be relocated remained dry after the hurricanes. The land has been filled and leveled, and the installation of wastewater and sanitation components has started.
Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds and implements safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has used innovative technology and engineering expertise to provide access to safe water for more than 7 million people in 57 countries. Water Mission has over 400 staff members working in its headquarters and around the world in permanent country programs located in Africa; Asia; North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 15 years in a row, a distinction shared by only 1% of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more, visit watermission.org, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram orTwitter.
About Food For The Poor
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.