Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

Each family is responsible for the maintenance of the their latrines.

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

Learnings

Knowledge of project and process for sharing

One learning was that we built the latrines to a similar depth as a single pit latrine. However, given that the pits can be alternated, a shallower pit is sufficient, if used correctly and save money in the construction.

Impact

People Getting Sanitation: 121

19 double pit latrines will be built in La Calamidad, Camoapa. In 19 households, there are 20 families and 121 people.