THE PROJECT
Centro de Salud Health Care Facility in Barrio San Luis, Honduras
The health center provides medical attention to the population of 16 neighborhoods located in its area of influence in Choluteca, Honduras. The clinic provides surgeries and routine care. They want to add a dental clinic, if they can find access to water.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
450 people live in the service area. A hand pump would service them and the facility’s staff and patients as well, up to 500 people daily. The nearest clean water source is a kilometer or more away. The community deals with waterborne illnesses such as typhoid, dysentery, skin rashes, and diarrhea.
The clinic is full daily. There are days [when] the clinic must delay much needed surgeries, due to lack of access to clean water. The clinic depends on water trucks to deliver water for their holding tank, which costs [money] and many times, they do not have the resources to purchase additional water.
The clinic would like to expand their work to include much needed dental services, but this requires more safe water, which currently is too expensive. Many community members cannot afford higher medical fees, to provide the clinic with much needed financial resources to purchase water – Poverty cycle at its worst.
SPECIFIC COSTS AND FUNDING INFORMATION
Funding requested: $3,500 for Materials and Labor.
Well Materials: Hand pump, cement, drilling fluid, piping, gravel, sand, fuel
Labor: Labor for putting the well into place.
Our staff are paid appropriate salary rates, which include the country’s requirement of a 13th month salary, and health INS benefits.
Administative Costs will be paid for by other donations.
Other Costs: Health and sanitation education/training, ongoing sustainability efforts, evangelistic and discipleship program, administration / oversight.
Other Funding: Where most needed gifts, grants towards gospel proclamation will be applied to complete this work for the community.
LIVING WATERS INTERNATIONAL’S PROGRAM
Our implementation through WASH Program Areas is unique, in that it aims to bring lasting physical and spiritual development in communities, through a multi-year program focused on specific regions thoughtfully integrating and contextualizing principles of water access, sanitation, hygiene, church mobilization, gospel proclamation, and sustainability.
WELL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
We will provide training and backstopping support during the first 6 years, until the local water committees and community have gathered enough fees to build a reserve for funding future maintenance. Water users will pay small monthly water user fees by household and these funds will be collected and managed by the water user committee, including a staff member from the clinic, for future repairs and maintenance of the system. The well caregiver will be assigned and equipped to do the ongoing general care of the
project at the clinic.
DISCIPLESHIP
Living Water employs a pastor within each country’s staff. Their purpose is to engage with the local churches/pastors/church members speaking into unity, spiritual growth and how to be health advocates within their communities. Bible storying training is coordinated within the WPA at several locations and outreach evangelism events such as the Jesus film, family activities with spiritual influence or rallies to name a few.
Bibles are given out to new believers or believers who do not have access to a bible in their own language. [There are] other pastoral trainings or pastoral fellowship activities, to unite Christians throughout the WPA in sharing the gospel and uplifting believers.
FUTURE IMPACT
Life will be incredibly different for this clinic and community. Access to daily safe water at the clinic and for community members, close to their homes, will stop the time poverty cycle of walking distances to gather water. Waterborne illnesses should dramatically decrease. The clinic will be able to have a consistent schedule to care for their patients. Community members will have time to care for their children, grow a garden, or possibly start a micro-business. Once they learn how diseases are spread, they will have the knowledge to stop the transmission of illnesses and parasites. The children’s bellies will no longer be bloated due to parasites, requiring medication from the clinic.
School attendance and focus will be much better. Women will no longer have kidney issues, because they will feel they can drink enough water each day. The clinic will see fewer sick people from waterborne illnesses. There is a feeling of pride in a community when they have their own water well, and they take great care of this resource.
All projects are made possible by World Changers.