NEEDS

The community of La Estanzuela is home to about 350 Hondurans. After assessing the most pressing needs of the community during previous visits, EWB-USC determined that a severe scarcity of clean water had to be addressed. The current villagers can either collect contaminated spring water from a minimal flow well or hike many miles back and forth from the local river. This has led to gastrointestinal diseases and lack of proper hydration to many of the residents, especially during the dry season.

EWB RESPONSE

To greatly increase the quality of life of those in La Estanzuela, EWB-USC designed a water wheel pump delivery system to continually fill a previously constructed 10,000 gallon tank. This tank is connected to each household, but currently has no water supply. After the design was approved by EWB-USA in 2009, a group of engineering students with a professional engineer traveled to Honduras in 2010 to begin construction of the expansive system. Two successive trips have led to about 75% of the project being completed, with two more trips planned to complete it.

The goal of this project is for the system to be completely operational by the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Honoring our commitment to La Estanzuela, we will then move on to the next project within the community. Another important issue that was recognized by EWB-USC was the need for improved educational facilities. The community has outgrown current school building, and the school’s kitchen and latrine system are dilapidated. During the next two trips, EWB-USC will begin assessment and design of improved school infrastructure, with hopes of completing this project in the near future.