Las Cañas, Honduras
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General Information
| Population* | 600 |
| Number of homes | 136 |
| Avg # of people per home | 5 |
| Number and % of children | 270: 45% of the population |
| Primary Occupations | Agriculture (Corn, Sorghum) |
| Water System | No |
| Community Bank | No |
| Electricity | No |
| Corresponding Health Center & Distance | CESAR - Las Cañas |
| Common Illnesses | Dengue, Chikungunya, Leishmaniasis, Chagas Disease, Respiratory Infections |
| School Access and Distance |
Primary School - In community |
| GPS | |
| Municipality | Choluteca |
| Department | Choluteca |
| Distance from compounds | 1 1/2 Hours |
* Population does not reflect how many patients will be seen on medical
brigades as many people from surrounding communities come seeking
Medical Brigades medical attention.
Top Three Needs Expressed
The top needs expressed by the key community members are a water system, electricity, and a better road.
Las Cañas is located in the southern region of Honduras along the Gulf on Fonseca in the department of Choluteca. It is one of the hottest regions of the country and temperatures regularly soar above 100 degrees.
Like most other rural communities, Las Cañas has a primary school offering kindergarten-sixth grade. Each grade is not taught separately however as the school only has four classrooms. Students who wish to continue their education beyond sixth grade may choose to attend a secondary school in Choluteca.
Community members in Las Cañas must collect water from a collection of wells as they do not have a centralized water system. 4 public wells and 10 private wells were initially constructed in 1982 by members of the community. Most remain functional, although one has since dried out.
As the water is not treated in the wells, it contains numerous parasites and waterborne diseases. Yet, few families treat the water in their homes. Thus, disease is common in the community.
As a larger rural community, Las Cañas has a health center. It is not consistently staffed nor does it have an adequate supply of medicine.
Further compounding problems, few homes in the community have adequate in-home infrastructure to prevent disease. Less than 10% of homes have cement or brick floors, which results in parasitic infections and Chagas Disease. Similarly, only 50% of homes have washable latrines, leading to high rates of diarrhea. Respiratory infections are also a large problem as no one has an eco-stove and many homes are full of smoke from cooking fires.
The majority of community members in Las Cañas grow corn and sorghum for sustenance. Others pick sugarcane seasonally to earn money. This work does not constitute steady employment. Las Cañas does not yet have a community bank and community members consequently lack access to important financial services.
Global Brigades is just beginning to work in the community of Las Cañas. Community members have expressed excitement at all Global Brigades projects and seem eager to collaborate. There are also numerous other organizations working in the community including Cerro Verde and World Vision.
