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About Majada Verde

Majada Verde is a community in the municipality of Talanga in the

department of Francisco Morazn in central-eastern Honduras.  There are

roughly 800 people residing in 332 houses.  Community members in Majada

Verde cannot obtain enough water to meet their basic needs, which means

they must forgo many basic hygiene and sanitation practices.  Thus,

common colds and diarrheal diseases plague community members. 

Morever, few homes have concrete floors, proper functioning latrines,

adequate water storage, running water, or efficient stoves with chimneys,

which further exacerbates their health problems.  The closest health center

is in Ocotal, which is a one hour walk from Majada Verde.  In regards to

education, the closest elemntary school is located in Talanga.  School is

only offered until 6th grade in Majada Verde and English is only taught

in grades 5-6.  After 6th grade, many students leave school and begin

working to support their families by working in agriculture, raising corn for

subsistence, or by working in construction.  Several other families rely on

remittances from the United States and abroad to support themselves.

 

Majada Verde's Water Challenge

Majada Verde has never had a centralized water system providing access

to all members of the community.  There are approximately 10 wells,

natural and manmade mountain springs, throughout the community.  Their

highest source of water could only be reached by walking up a steep

mountain through a subtropical forest.  However, each water source does

not provide enough water for families to meet their needs (the water flow is

half a gallon per minute), forcing them to skip basic hygiene and sanitation

practices.  Further endangering their health, community members do not treat their water prior to consuming it and there is no centralized treatment plan, which greatly increases their risk of contracting waterborne diseases.

 

Water System Design in Majada Verde

Engineering Brigaders began designing a water system in Los

Hatillos in March 2014. Throughout the following months, these

volunteers worked with community members to:
     •  Locate a viable source near the community
     •  Test the quantity and quality of the water at the source
     •  Measure approximately 4,635 meters of the future water system
     •  Place stakes at 100 meter intervals to mark the future system
     •  Plan 159 household connections to the system

 

The community does not have an official water council, but two locals, Oscar Danillo Lopez, Vice President of the community, and Marlon Guevara, head of the parents school board, will work to establish a water council and be trained on water treatment and system maintenance, administration, and operation to ensure the sustainability of the project. Once the community organizes a water council and constructs a well with the blueprints provided, Global Brigades will begin working with the community on their new water system.

                                                                                    

Engineering Brigades Chapters that Worked in Los Hatillos
Engineering  Brigades Chapter	Month	Volunteers
Team #1 Summer Interns	June 2014	4

 

 

Current Status

In Progress

The First Summer Interns performed a community assessment in June 2014.  Since then, the Engineering and Water Team has been in contact with community members of Majada Verde, suggesting certain ways to fix the previous system and to ensure the community is ready for a new water system.

 

 

Visit Other Programs in Majada Verde

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of collectively implementing health, economic, and education initiatives to strategically meet a community's development goals. Learn more about the other programs being implemented in Majada Verde:

 

 Medical Dental   CHW   Microfinance Water  Public Health  Business  Architecture