Programs / Public Health / Communities / Guaricayan «

About Guaricayán

Guaricayán is a small community with a population of 185 people in the

municipality of San Juan de Flores.  Prior to Global Brigades' arrival, people

in Guaricayán 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 over an

hour walk away.  The average family income is estimated to be

2,400 Lempiras per month, which calculates to less than $1.00 per day.

 

Guaricayán's Public Health Challenge

Many community members in Guaricayán lacked the resources needed to

improve their homes and prevent diseases caused by unsafe living

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

and few homes had hygiene stations, cement floors, and eco-stoves prior

to the arrival of Global Brigades.  Such living conditions triggered disease. 

The lack of hygiene stations led to high rates of diarrhea and waterborne

disease, the absence of cement floors caused parasitic infection and

Chagas Disease, and the lack of eco-stoves resulted in respiratory
problems in the community.  Not only did the creation of health
infrastructure better the health of household members through improved
sanitation and hygiene, but it also improved their quality of life as the new
water storage units will reduce time spent walking to water sources and
the eco-stove reduced firewood consumption by about 70%.

 

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.  Moreover the level of awareness concerning sanitation and the importance of health was very low as the children did not receive any education about the topic.

 

 

The Public Health Solution for Guaricayán

Public Health Brigaders from several different universities and the Public Health Brigades in-country team worked in Guaricayán from September 2012 – January 2013. During this time, volunteers and staff members will work 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 25 eco-stoves, 25 litrines, 25 showers, 24 water storage units, and 92 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 Guaricayán
Public Health Brigades Chapter	Month	Volunteers
Lower Columbia College	September 2012	11
Imperial College	September 2012	22
Oregon State University	September 2012	12
DePaul University	December 2012	22
Drexel University	December 2012	12
Duke University	December 2012	5
Oakland University	December 2012	12
University of Illinois - Chicago	December 2012	22
University of Virginia	January 2013	14
University of Texas - Austin	January 2013	12
University of Wisconsin - Madison	January 2013	9
Saint Louis University	January 2013	20
Washington University in St. Louis	January 2013	7
Brown University	January 2013	7
University of California - Berkeley	January 2013	16
University of Southern California	January 2013	2
Columbia University	January 2013	10
Johns Hopkins University	January 2013	8

 

Current Status

Completed: January 2013

After numerous successful brigades, the Public Health Brigades Program exited the community of Guaricayán.  Exiting the community signifies that the program no longer be brings brigades to this community and will gradually lessen follow-up to one visit every 6 months - 1 year. The Public Health Brigades 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 Guaricayán

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 Guaricayán:

 

Medical DentalEngineering MicrofinanceWater  Business  ArchitectureCHW