Lenca communities in Honduras improve their access to drinking water

La Paz, Honduras.

With the goal of improving the living conditions of vulnerable communities, Habitat for Humanity Honduras, together with local governments, beneficiary communities, and partners, inaugurated three projects to build and improve drinking water systems in three towns in the department of La Paz: San Miguel (Santa Ana), El Cordoncillo (San Antonio del Norte), and San Andrés (Marcala). Thanks to this initiative, 1,735 Lenca people now have access to safe drinking water, representing a significant change in their well-being and health.

The project was implemented based on a model of community participation and inter-institutional coordination, involving communities, municipal governments, associations of communities, and various organizations with a presence in the area. Habitat for Humanity Honduras led the implementation in conjunction with the Association for the Integrated Management of Watersheds of La Paz and Comayagua (ASOMAINCUPACO), the Commonwealth of Municipalities of Southern La Paz (MAMSURPAZ), the municipalities of Marcala, Santa Ana and San Antonio del Norte, and the Drinking Water and Sanitation Management Board of the community of San Miguel-Santa Ana. Also participating were MAMLESIP, EOS International, Water For People, World Vision, Helvetas, and Global Community as part of the collaborative work of the For All Forever (PTPS) movement.

Habitat for Humanity Honduras invested L1,250,000.00 lempiras for the purchase of materials, administration, monitoring, evaluation, follow-up, and accountability through our partner, Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver, based in the United States. This contribution was crucial for replacing obsolete systems and optimizing those that were not functioning properly, thus ensuring sustainable access to water in these communities. The total investment for the three water projects was L4,350,000.00, including contributions from all project partners.

In addition to improving water infrastructure, this project strengthened the capacities of the Water Management Boards, provided training in community organization and participation, and in the administration and operation of the systems. The community was also trained in health education and defined drinking water and sanitation guidelines within the municipal housing policies of the beneficiary municipalities, an initiative developed with the advice of Habitat for Humanity Honduras. Each community received interventions tailored to their specific needs, including replacement, improvement and expansion of existing systems.