Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

Well project beneficiaries pay for repairs as needed by community collection.

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 in Jan-March, transplant in the rainy season May-June, 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 the best 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: 38

One well will be built in Nueva España, El Sauce, Nicaragua serving 8 families.

People Getting Sanitation: 101

18 latrines will be built in Nueva España. In Nueva España, an additional 17 latrines will be built (a total of 35), but will be financed by another donor (to be determined).

People Getting Other Benefits: 101

All beneficiaries will receive hygiene and sanitary education, training in long term maintenance of projects, and the opportunity to take part in reforestation of microwatersheds in their communities. The education component will occur in 2008, reforestation will likely start in 2009, when the water component is complete.