El Porvenir has worked in these three regions for 7, 12, and 17 years respectively developing potable water and basic sanitation projects in small rural villages which had no other possible source of financial support for infrastructure.

Water projects: gravity flow spring capture, hand-dug wells with rope pump (see http://www.ropepump.com), simple traditional latrines, modified for ventilation.

Projects which include both wells and latrines in one community will be developed in two phases, latrines first, then wells. Well development concentrated in dry season which is very short in Camoapa region.

The community had to come to El Porvenir in the first place to request this project,i.e. it is a need identified as important by the community. We do not initiate projects. The community must elect its own committee to manage the project and take long term responsibilityfor its care and maintenance. Community provides all labor on a volunteer basis. community must obtain site control of any water project, through donation or purchase, which is legalized by attorney and municipal government. Community finances any repairs needed in the long term.

See above. In addition, technicians who supervise construction of gravity flow systems teach maintenance, leave small kit of needed tools with the community, and all beneficiaries sign an agreement for careful use of water, payment of monthly maintenance fee, etc
In well projects several members of every community participate in installation of rope pump so that later they know how to take it apart and fix it and reinstall it. Repairs are cheap, e.g. $3 for a new rope.

After project construction, water project communities are invited to participate in reforestation. Those who want to do so will develop seedling nurseries, transplant in the rainy season, and maintain the plantations under barbed wire fence and "no burn" protection for three years minimum. Reforestation project includes construction of fuel-saving, smoke-free stoves in the homes of reforestation participants (and eventually others). Community health educators will visit all projects after construction to teach hygience (handwashing e.g.) and encourage ongoing maintenance and repair of all projects, strengthen local committees, etc.

In order to measure the impact of our projects, we collect data several times a year from clinics serving rural districts where we have a high concentration of projects: number of visits due to diarrhea, etc. As the number decreases we feel that hygiene education has been effective.

For further information, please review our web site: http://www.elporvenir.org