The rainy season was supposed to start here in mid-May.
There have been a few torrential rainstorms, but the campesinos who work the land are saying that it’s still the dry
season. If we don’t have good rains soon, we may have a serious drought.
But another real issue for many rural communities is water
for drinking and for household chores. Many communities here have water but the
quality is questionable.
Caritas of the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán has a project,
Strengthening Citizenship, that began to work in the Dulce Nombre parish this
year. When a Caritas worker visited a parish zone meeting in El Zapote de Santa
Rosa, several brought up the issue of the village’s water source.
Caritas arranged to do a test of the water and I accompanied
the village’s Water Board and two Caritas workers to the source.
Water source |
A laboratory in Santa Rosa found significant contamination
with bacteria and fecal mater. A later test, after a few rainstorms, revealed
more bacterial contamination and more than double the contamination with fecal
matter. They also tested tap water from El Zapote.
The water source supplies not only El Zapote but also two
other villages. So today a Caritas worker, Eliezer, met with representatives of
the Water Boards of the three villages.
He began the meeting asking the El Zapote Board if they
chlorinated their water at the town’s water tank. They checked it about every
week. The cost for the chloride is about $17 a month.
Their efforts have resulted in no contamination of the
water.
Eliezer also asked the other two boards about chlorination.
One hasn’t chlorinated since February, because they had no chlorine and
couldn’t find it in Santa Rosa or in La Entrada. The other village hasn’t
chlorinated for about a year.
With the help of the El Zapote Water Board president, the
two villages will take samples in a few weeks to be tested. I’m also sure they
will find serious contamination.
Eliezer called someone from another municipality where
Caritas works. They have a “bank” of chlorine that can provide one barrel to
the two villages here.
The three Water Boards are going to meet and put together a
statement to give to the mayors of the three municipalities involved as well as
to the local association of municipalities. They also decided other matters.
What really impressed me, though, was how the El Zapote Water
Board was so thorough and prepared. It was a little discouraging to listen to
the lack of initiative in the other villages.
But efforts are being made that will, hopefully, bear fruit.
Eliezer asked me to say a few words before the meeting ended.
I congratulated El Zapote for their work and mentioned that Caritas was ready to
accompany the three villages in their work. But I emphasized, as did Eliezer, that
they had to take the initiative, they had to be the protagonists. Caritas wouldn’t
do it for them.
That is part of what outside organizations can do – accompany,
encourage, motivate, help them make connections, and – when necessary – provide
a bit of money. But the people must be the protagonists.
2 comments:
I agree completely on the need for the people to take the lead on such projects. I would be interested in more research on the factors that create successful communities. It was striking in our time in Honduras that neighbouring communities, apparently similar in history, demographics, education, income and other factors, vary so widely in their ability to address problems. Some build and maintain shared water systems or improve schools, while their neighbours struggle to get organized enough to buy chlorine.
From an aid perspective, the more we understand the differences the better we can respond appropriately and effectively.
I too am somewhat baffled by the difference between the communities. I know a part of it is that there is better organization in El Zapote and there are several committed leaders.
El Zapote is probably not much better off than one of the communities. But that community may be very much affected by the political bi-party system. El Zapote is also larger.
The other village is significantly poorer - and is just beginning to organize itself in matters of the church.
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