Where We Work / Honduras / Communities / El Junquillo «

El Junquillo is located in near the El Salvadorean border in the municipality of Goascoran. This region is widely considered the hottest part of Honduras and temperatures often soar to well over 100 degrees. It is defined by low hills covered in brush. There is very little rain for most of the year.

El Junquillo has a primary school serving fifty students from first to sixth grade. Due to low enrollment, the kindergarten program was recently discontinued.

The school has three classrooms with electricity, although only two are currently being used. Ninoska Ramos teaches first, second, and third grade in one classroom. School director Alejandrino Alvarado teaches fourth, fifth, and sixth grade in the neighboring classroom.

Students who choose to continue onto secondary school must walk to either the nearby community of Langue or El Platero. Roughly 2/3 of students make the trek of about one hour to complete several more years of school.

Global Brigades began constructing a hybrid water system in El Junquillo in March 2014. It will now connects roughly 80 houses to an adequate supply of clean water. Water is first be collected at  a well before being pumped to a 10,000 gallon chlorination tank perched on a hill above the town. Gravity then propels the treated water to each home in the community. On July 25, 2014, the Water Brigades Team officially inaugurated the new water system in El Junquillo. The system has been functioning well since then, and community members report great satisfaction with it.

Prior to Global Brigades' work in the community, the community relied on a system of wells to provide water. The supply was inadequate; the water often ran out during the hottest months of the year. Moreover, it was not centrally-treated leading to increased waterborne disease and infection.

El Junquillo does not have a health center. Thus, community members must walk roughly one hour to the nearest facility in the town of Langue. A Basic Sanitation Committee was formed when the Water Program entered in the community in March 2014. The Basic Sanitation Committee is an important force in educating community members about disease prevention in the future.

The most common illnesses seen by community members are respiratory infections and diarrhea. Community members' health is further compromised by the lack of public health infrastructure in the community. 75% of homes do not have washable latrines and  25% of homes do not have cement or ceramic floors. No one has an eco-stove.

In El Junquillo, the majority of families grow corn and beans on their own land for sustenance. They often work seasonally on shrimp farms in Nacaome or in construction to earn an income. Others receive  remittances sent by family members living abroad. Average monthly income is estimated to be roughly 4,000 Lempira of US $200. Some families do earn considerably more, however, as family members send them considerable sums of money from abroad.

At the moment, there is no access to formalized  financial institutions. However, the Microfinance Program does anticipate entering the community in the future.

El Junquillo has been working with Global Brigades in medical and water projects since March 2014. Global Brigades is building  a strong relationship with this community and both Global Brigades and community members look forward to working together in future development projects. At the moment, there are no other organizations working in the community.