Programs / Public Health / Communities / El Retiro «

About El Retiro

El Retiro is a small community with a population of 435 people in the

municipality of Morocelí.  Prior to Global Brigades' arrival, people

in El Retiro suffered from a lack of potable water, hygiene and sanitation

infrustructure, healthcare, and education.  Common colds, parasites, and

diarrheal disease were common.  Few homes had concrete floors,

functioning latrines, proper water storage, or efficient stoves with chimneys. 

School is offered until 6th grade, at which point most children begin to work

in agriculture to support their families. The closest health center is a thirty

minute walk away in Buena Vista. The average family income is estimated to

be 750 Lempiras (US $37)  per month, which calculates to less than $1.00 per day.

 

El Retiro's Public Health Challenge

Many community members in El Retiro lack the resources needed to

improve their homes and prevent diseases caused by unsafe living

environments. The majority of homes are made of adobe, straw, and mud.

Prior to Public Health Brigades, few homes had public health infrastructure.

About 30% of homes had latrines, less than 10% of homes had cement floors,

and no one had showers or eco-stoves. Such living conditions triggered disease.

For example,  the lack of hygiene stations has led to high rates of diarrhea and

waterborne disease, the absence of cement floors has caused parasitic infection

and Chagas Disease, and the lack of eco-stoves has resulted in respiratory
problems in the community. Although community members recognized the problems inherent to their living environments, they did not have the economic resources nor the technical knowledge needed to address them.  

 

The creation of health infrastructure with Public Health Brigades improved the health of household members through improved sanitation and hygiene. It also improved quality of life as the new water storage units reduce time spent walking to water sources and eco-stoves reduce firewood consumption by about 70%. In addition, the level of awareness concerning sanitation and the importance of health has increased in the community, especially among children.

 

The Public Health Solution for El Retiro

Public Health Brigaders from several different universities and the Public Health Brigades in-country team began working in El Retiro in January 2015. Volunteers and staff members have worked with community members to:

     • Identify community leaders and train them to form the Basic Sanitation Committee

     • Increase cultural sensitivity and awareness by working side by side with qualified masons and project

       beneficiaries

     • Build 11 eco-stoves, 11 latrines, 11 showers, 11 water storage units, and 11 cement floors

     • Conduct educational workshops emphasizing the importance of sanitation and hygiene in the local

        primary school

 

To ensure the sustainability of the in-home infrastructure projects, the Public Health Program provides continuous follow-up in the community. It also forms and trains the Basic Sanitation Committee, a community body formed by local leaders which monitors the correct usageand maintenance of the new infrastructure. Clear responsibilities and powers are assigned to each member, making the beneficiaries themselves an even stronger stakeholder in the Public Health projects.

 

 

Public Health Brigades Chapters that Worked in El Retiro
Public Health Brigades Chapter	Month	Volunteers
Washington University in St. Louis	January 2015	12
Brown University	January 2015	6
University of Connecticut	January 2015	25
Stetson University	March 2015	6
Vanderbilt University	March 2015	16
Michigan State University	March 2015	16
College of William and Mary	March 2015	4
Vikings Brigade	March 2015	19
University of New Brunswick	April 2015	28
Carnegie Mellon	May 2015	12
University of Texas at Austin	May 2015	4
Oregon State University	June 2015	9
University of California	June 2015	17
Foothill College	August 2015	45
Imperial College	September 2015	26
Brandeis University	January 2016	18
Washington University in St. Louis	January 2016	14
Columbia University	January 2016	6
Brown University	January 2016	5
Nork Park Vikings	January 2016	26
University of Virginia	January 2016	15
John Hopkins University	January 2016	10

 

Current Status

In Progress

After numerous successful brigades, the Public Health Program continues working in the community of El Retiro.  Once the Public Health Program has worked with all interested families, it will exit the community. Exiting the community signifies that the program will gradually lessen follow-up to one visit every 6 months to 1 year. The Public Health Program trusts that the community members will maintain their projects with the assistance of the trained masons and understand the importance of building safe living environments whenever they construct new homes.

 

Visit Other Programs in El Retiro

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

 

Medical DentalEngineeringWater   Business CHW