Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

Gravity flow water project beneficiaries pay monthly stipend in anticipation of system repairs. Well project beneficiaries pay for repairs as needed by community colection.

Other Issues

Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution

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

Impact

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 322

42 families will help build their own wells and water system.

People Getting Sanitation: 540

90 families will help build their own latrines.

People Getting Other Benefits: 540

540 people will receive health and hygiene education, training in long term maintenance of projects, opportunity to take part in reforestation of microwatersheds