Community visit to Joyas

"Learning to speak another's language means taking one's place in the human community. It means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is far more than a system to be explained. It is our most important link to the world around us. Language is culture in motion. It is people interacting with people."
- Sandra Savignon

While on the staff retreat at our compound, we took the Panama staff to one of our communities to show them a few of our projects here in Honduras. We took them to a town called Joyas, where we recently had an inauguration because the Water, Public Health, and Microfinance projects have been completed there.

collection tank above the community

We drove about an hour and a half in the land cruiser to the community and then we listened as Ben (our Water Brigades Lead) explained the Water project that he helped to execute in this community. Under the direction of his team, students from all over the U.S. helped to complete a sustainable water system for this community. They laid about 8 kilometers of piping to bring fresh water to the people's homes. It was so incredible to learn about this project more in depth. Ben explained everything- how the pumps work to collect the water, how the pressure of the water builds up as it travels, how the PBC piping is laid in the ground, and how the waters collects in the distribution take above the community before it is distributed to all the homes. We hiked up to the distribution tank where we could see the river in the distance from which the lines collect the water. 

GB brick and mortar stove

pila with wash board shelf

Then we were welcomed into the home of one of the families and listened as Moises (one of the Public Health Coordinators) explained how the PH team constructed an efficient stove for the family. It looked quite simple by American standards but this unadorned stove changed this family's habits and dramatically increase their health. Because of this stove, the family no longer has to breath in all the smoke that it emits- we installed a chimney that directs the smoke out of their home. There was also an accessible latch on the side from which the family members can easily clean the inside of the stove and chimney. Moises demonstrated this process for us to show us just how much soot the stove is emitted- after one swipe, the rag was black. It was almost unbelievable to think that until GB came to this community, the women would cook all day long and breath in all this smoke and so much soot would collect on the ceilings and walls of this home, and the children would constantly be breathing in the fumes. It made me smile inside that GB did such a simple thing for this family but it really impacted their life at home.

old latrine

Next we checked out the pila. This is basically the family sink. It is a concrete water basin that is located outside the home and it can be filled up with a hose from the faucet that Water Brigades installed. There is a top shelf that has a drain so that you can scoop water from the basin and wash your hands and dishes. There is also a wash board on the shelf for cleaning clothes. Interesting how we have a porcelain sink in every bathroom in our home and picking out the kind of kitchen sink you want is often a big deal in the States- it has to match, it has to be the right size, the right height... these people are delighted and so thankful for a concrete one outside of their home.

new GB latrine!

Another project that GB Public Health completed for every family in this community was to construct a latrine at every home. Many of the old latrines (if a family had one) were usually made out of flimsy wooden sides with a cloth serving as a door. GB constructed a concrete one, with solid floors and metal paneling for the door. Every latrine is hooked up to a septic tank, that is either completely new or a renovated version of their old one. These septic tanks will last 10-15 years, depending on the size of the family. The tank is also covered by concrete instead of just wood so the substance doesn't get into the group as much when the wood rots. The system is very simple- there's no seat on the toilet, no handle- it flushes from pressure when you add water. This simple change, however, prevents a lot of disease for the family and also allows them to go to the bathroom close to home, rather than having to hike up into the mountain, which ultimately results in their feces coming back down to their home when it rains.

my boss and 2 other wonderful ladies that I work with- overlooking Joyas

It was so wonderful to get a detailed explanation of two of our most exciting developmental projects. It really made me feel more connected to the communities that we work with, as well as to the rest of the Honduran and Panamanian staff. As I walked through this beautiful community with my fellow staff members, gazed at incredible views, and listened to details about what GB is known for by the people we serve, I just thought to myself how lucky I am to be standing on such a gorgeous mountain in the middle of Honduras with such wonderful people who are dedicated to empowering the lives of others.