Water Project gives boost to community

by Brett Leghorn

The community of Los Caraos, a comarca (community) located five kilometers outside of Achuapa, is home to 65 families totaling 323 inhabitants. A census conducted by the Tienda Campesina, Achuapa´s most influential cooperative, places 36 of the 65 families in Los Caraos in conditions of ¨extreme poverty.¨ I traveled to Los Caraos in late November to see the results of a water project supported by ProNica.

The process

Proyecto de Agua Los Caraos, or Water Project Los Caraos, commenced in March 2004 with the goal of improving the health and well being of the community. The project focused specifically on the issues of waste management and water supply by constructing two essential structures: latrines and wells.

In order to execute the project, the people of Los Caraos needed financial help from outside sources. The expenses of the project totaled approximately $15,000. CARE, the main financer of the project, provided nearly 90% of the funds from the start. As it stood, the remaining 10% of the expenses would have come from the pockets of the people of Los Caraos. Because that sum of money was insurmountable for the impoverished campesinos, the Tienda Campesina asked that ProNica provide an additional portion of the costs. ProNica came through with an essential donation that lowered the people´s expenses to 5% of the total cost.

With these funds secured, the citizens of Los Caraos elected a committee of seven people, with a woman at the head of the group, to manage the project. The committee carried out a census in the community, in order to find which households needed latrines and wells. Over three months of work from March to May 2004, the water project benefited 22 families, roughly 100 campesinos, in the comarca.

Before, a lot of garbage had fallen into the well, but now it’s covered completely and the water is cleaner.

One of the primary problems in Los Caraos had been lack of quality latrines. “Before this project, there were people whose latrines were full of waste and people that defecated in the open air,” said Esther Tercero Rocha, the elected director of the committee and a beneficiary of the project.

The efforts of CARE, the Tienda Campesina, and ProNica made possible the construction of 22 latrines, modest metal structures that have made a huge difference in the health of the community.

“Our new latrine is excellent,” said Luz Amparo Lopéz Ruíz. “Before, we had to use plastic or tiny pieces of wood to cover the latrine.” The project committee is proud to report that every family in Los Caraos now has access to a latrine, although many are admittedly still in need of repair.

In addition to latrines, the water project repaired a total of sixteen pozos (wells). The majority of the repairs entailed replacing worn-out pumps and covering previously unprotected wells.

“Before the wells were damaged and there was no way to clean them. Some people had to go to the river for their water,” explained Enma Calderón Cerros. Enma´s family benefited from repairs to their well, and now they have access to safe water on their own property.

Another case is that of Neyda del Carmén Sorto López, whose family received a new well cover. “Before, a lot of garbage had fallen into the well, but now it’s covered completely and the water is cleaner,” offered Neyda.

Two of the sixteen repaired wells are communal wells available for public use. Absalóm Benavides, the treasurer of the Project Committee, recounted the history of a communal well that had been “abandoned right in the center of town.” After the improvements made by the water project, Absalóm is proud to say that it is “a good well” for public use.

When asked about the situation of health in the community, Carlos Espinoza insisted, “It has improved a lot. Now we have a place to bathe ourselves and the water is healthier and safer.” Espinoza and four other families now benefit from a sanitary unit—two showers, a well, and a washing area—that was constructed on his property as part of the project.

As a complement to the actual construction entailed in the project, Proyecto de Agua Los Caraos featured an impressive educational component. Promoters from the Tienda Campesina offered a total of six workshops covering a range of topics, including health, environmental conservation, and gender issues. Most importantly, the workshops taught the people how to maintain their new wells and latrines. “With the workshops, the people understood the problems,” remarked Espinoza. “They were very clear and the instruction was concrete.”

Things to improve on

Ultimately, carrying out social projects is part of a learning process, and there are always unforeseen complications. One minor problem was that all the raw materials for the project were dropped at the center of the village. This required families, some from outlying areas, to transport the materials on their own, which for some was a costly and difficult endeavor.

Due to unforeseen delays, the materials were not ready until May, the start of the rainy season. Wells must be constructed in the dry season. As such, no new wells were constructed in Los Caraos, although currently existing wells were repaired.

Another significant issue to consider is that only twenty-two of the comarca´s 65 families benefited from the project. Even with ProNica´s financial contribution, many families were too poor to pay their share of the project. In the future, we might consider full funding for such a project.

Even with these difficulties, the people of Los Caraos are enjoying the improvements made possible by the project. Said Enma Calderón Cerros: “It’s a beautiful project that we never saw here before.”

This upcoming spring, ProNica will be supporting another water project in La Calera, a neighboring comarca.

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Water Project gives boost to community

The process

Things to improve on

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