LA FLOR – LA TEJERA #2, NICARAGUA

FUNDED JULY 19, 2023

EXISTING CONDITIONS

La Flor, La Tejera #2 in a small, rural village in the Somotillo, Chinandega province of Nicaragua.  140 people live within the immediate community and there are additional people in the surrounding area.  The proposed borehole well and hand pump will be able to service up to 500 people a day.  If no other water is closer to where they keep their animals, they may use this for livestock [as well.]

There is no clean water source nearby. Residents must walk 5 kilometers to bring water back to their homes for drinking, cooking, and
bathing. They must go down to the river which is a very steep descent and is especially difficult for children, who are the primary water collectors. Drinking water from the river causes stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting – all signs of water-related disease.  Common diseases include Typhoid and Cholera, and parasites are a daily concern. These affect the growth and ability to learn for the children in the community, as they take much of the nutrients they eat from their bodies. Medical expenses deplete what little resources the villagers have. They sometimes buy water from vendors, but it’s not safe either.

Roberto Clemente is a beloved figure all across South America, known as much for his charitable works as for his many baseball achievements. Born in Puerto Rico, Clemente died in a plane crash while en route to deliver aid to victims of the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake. This well will be dedicated in memory of Roberto Clemente by the Clemente Museum who helped make this well possible.

Central American countries can have issues with pesticides in their surface water due to no laws against using them in their fields. They spray and when it rains these chemicals flow into the open water sources. These can cause health issues. Early symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, and increased secretions, such as sweating, salivation, tearing, and respiratory secretions. Progressive symptoms include muscle twitching, weakness, tremor, incoordination, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, [which] can be confused with waterborne illnesses, as many of the symptoms are the same.

Living Water tests for pesticides in the wells they drill. They test the water prior to putting the pump into place. We have run across a few wells over the years we were unable to complete but it is rare. We would find another location in the community to drill if this were to happen. 98% of the time, we are able to drill deep enough to arrive at a clean aquifer. But pesticides can be an issue in larger farming communities.

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. Living Water has strong financial
reporting [that] the Houston office oversees for accountability.

Community Hygiene Education

SPECIFIC COSTS AND FUNDING INFORMATION

Total Project Cost: $10,000

Funding Requested from Ingomar Living Waters: $3,500
The remaining funds will come from where-most-needed gifts, and grants towards gospel proclamation will be applied to complete this work for the community.

Costs Breakdown:

• Well Materials:  hand pump, cement, drilling fluid, piping, gravel, sand, and 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.
• Administrative Costs: will be paid for by other donations.
• Future Maintenance: Will be paid for by other donations over the first two years and the community through usage fees collected by the community moving forward.
• Other Costs: The remaining other costs will cover the health and sanitation education/training, ongoing sustainability efforts, evangelistic and discipleship program, administration, and oversight.

Timeline: Funds are needed by July 31, 2023. The estimated project start date is July 31; estimated completion date is September 30, 2023. 

WELL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

Living Water International will provide training and financial support during the first 6 years until the local water committee 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 for future repairs and maintenance of the system.

Water Committee

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. Other pastoral trainings or pastoral fellowship activities unite Christians throughout the WPA in sharing the gospel and uplifting believers.

FUTURE IMPACT

The school children will be able to attend school instead of being late or missing school from illnesses or having to find water. Families will have additional income due to spending less on clinic visits or medication. Women have more time to spend with their families and work on gardens or other small business opportunities. The community has a feeling of pride in having their own water source in their own community. Hope has been restored!

COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Community members are grateful for your generosity!

Water access was fraught with trouble for the La Tejera #2 section of the La Flor community. Without a safe water source in the community, residents had to get the water they needed from a local river. The river was some distance from their homes, so the women and children tasked with water collection spent hours of each day walking to the river and back, all while carrying heavy containers of water over difficult terrain.  When they could afford to, residents bought water, but this was oftentimes not an option, and they had to use water from the river.

To make matters worse, the river water was unsafe for drinking and cooking. The water was contaminated by animals and dangerous bacteria. These contaminants left the community members suffering from diarrhea, dysentery, parasites, and other water-related illnesses. When residents were sick, they couldn’t work, care for their homes and families, or, in the case of the community’s children, attend school. For many families, simply paying for the treatment of a waterborne disease was a financial sacrifice.

Lucidalia Maradiaga is a 33-year-old housewife who lives in La Flor. She said, “We had to walk five kilometers to get water, which was tiring. We had to go down to the river, which is a very steep and difficult descent. Sometimes we bought water, and other times, we drank water from the river and it caused us stomach pains, diarrhea, and vomiting.”

Without safe water access, the community was trapped in a vicious cycle of need, scarcity, and ill health. This affected the socioeconomic stability of the community. The residents wished water access was easy and safe. 

Safe water now flows in abundance
in the La Flor community!

When leaders in the community heard about Living Water International’s work in the area, they knew they had found the answer to their ongoing water crisis. Living Water Nicaragua responded to the community’s need by drilling a new well in La Flor. Thanks to your gift, the community finally had safe water!

The Living Water staff also helped the La Flor community establish sustainability practices to help ensure a future of safe water access and guided them in creating a water committee to oversee the care and maintenance of the well. Living Water will stay in contact with the community to support sustainability efforts and monitor the well’s functionality.

HYGIENE & SANITATION TRAINING

In order to help the La Flor community members understand how to use the safe water you gave them as a means of improving their health, the Living Water staff held a hygiene and sanitation promotion activity. The residents participated in lessons on oral hygiene, proper handwashing, and how to care for their new hand pump. The residents now feel confident in their ability to take charge of their health.

Throughout the La Flor water project, the Living Water team shared the good news of God’s love and his offer of living water to everyone. At the completion of the well, the team held a well dedication service. The staff led the community in praying over the
well and thanking the Lord for his provision through you! Residents were given new Bibles to help them grow in their relationship with God.

Lucidalia was overjoyed to have a safe water source in her community. She said, “Now we will have a good well, and we will enjoy a lot of clean and safe water.”

She and her neighbors know that safe water changes everything. They can now envision a future that isn’t marred by thirst or need. They take pride in their ability to implement community-driven solutions to prevent their well from falling into disrepair.

Safe water changes everything.

Your Impact

Ingomar Living Waters, safe water truly has changed everything for those living in the La Tejera #2 section of the La Flor community. Thanks to you, residents now have safe water in abundance right outside of their homes. They no longer have to wonder if they will have enough water for each day or suffer the effects of drinking unsafe water. Your gift has provided them with the means to escape
reaction-based patterns of living. Sustaining their new well has instilled hope and confidence in the community members. Your gift also serves as a reminder of God’s great love for each person in the community, evidence that he cares both for their physical and spiritual needs.

Thank you for giving water, for life, in Jesus’ name!