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About La Concepción

La Concepción is a small community with a population of 640 people in

the municipality of San Matías.  Prior to Global Brigades' arrival,

community members in La Concepción suffered from a lack of potable

water, hygiene and sanitation infrastructure, healthcare, and education. 

Common colds, diabetes, blurred vision, and pharyngotonsilitis were

common.  Few homes had concrete floors, properly functing litrines,

proper water storage, or efficient stoves with chimneys, which further

exacerbated their health problems.  Luckily, there is a health center in

the community although it is not consisitently staffed nor does it have

an adequate supply of medications.  School is offered until sixth grade,

at which point most children begin to work in agriculture to support

their families.  Those who choose to continue with their education work

with local volunteers involved in the Educatodos Program or walk to

San Matías.  The average family income is estimated to be 1,200

Lempiras ($60.00) per month, which calculates to less than $1.00

per person per day.

 

La Concepción's Water Challenge

Water Brigaders Prior to Global Brigades' arrival, addressing the

community's water issues was a priority.  With no central community

water system, the people in La Concepción used one of the six shallow

wells within the community, drawing water out with hand pumps.  Not all

six wells were public, and people sometimes paid up to 60 Lempiras just

to take water from the well.  A large storage tank was built at an elevation above the community about three years ago, with the idea of connecting it to a pump-powered water system for the community, but the project was never completed and the tank has been sitting empty ever since.

 

Without a central storage tank used for water distribution, there was no way for the people of La Concepción to centrally and consistently treat their water.  In an effort to address this problem, Rotary International donated household Bio-Sand Filters to every home throughout the community to allow families to purify their drinking water before consumption.  However, community leaders still stated that constructing a water system that brings water to the homes and uses an improved water source is one of the highest needs within the community.

 

La Concepción was a organized community with a functioning community bank, educational programs, and a Basic Sanitation Committee among other public services.  The community had a Water Council prior to Global Brigades' arrival; however, they were not properly trained due to the lack of a community-wide water system.  There was also no monthly water fee established to assist with maintenance and administration of existing water infrastructure.

 

 

The Water Solution for La Concepción

Water Brigaders from 12 different universities worked in La

Concepción from May 2012 to June 2012. During that time,

these volunteersworked with community members to:
     •  Install an electric pump in a well that provides 26 GPM
     •  Repair and paint a 10,000 gallon storage tank with chlorinator
     •  Dig approximately 3,000 meters of trench and lay pipeline
     •  Connect 144 houses, 2 schools, 1 health center and 2

        churches to the system
     •  Provide educational seminars to children in the community

        on water and health related topics

 

To ensure the sustainability of the project, a new seven member Water Council was established and trained by Water Brigades in  addition to a Basic Sanitation Committee also trained by Water Brigades.  Thanks to the hardwork and dedication of students and community members, Global Brigades completed the system in less than two months. Such a quick effort would not have been possible without the generous support of the municipal government in San Matías and PDA San Matías (a division of World Vision). The Global Brigades' Water Team would like to thank all of those who contributed to the project and brought an adequate supply of potable water to each home in La Concepción.            

                                                                                           

 

Water Brigades Chapters that Worked in La Concepción
Water Brigades Chapter	Month	Volunteers
San Jose State	May 2012	23
University of Michigan	May 2012	4
University of Pennsylvania	May 2012	9
San Diego State University	May 2012	14
Boston University	May 2012	7
UC Santa Barbara	June 2012	10
UC Riverside	June 2012	2
UC Irvine	June 2012	7
UCLA	June 2012	6
University of Chicago	June 2012	11
University of Washington	June 2012	4
University of Texas - Austin	June 2012	2

 

 

Current Status

Last Visit: May 24, 2015

The Global Brigades' Water Team and students from Oklahoma State University Medical/Dental Brigade conducted a follow-up visit in La Concepción as part of a Holistic Model Day. By reviewing the system, testing water quality, and meeting with the Water Council, they determined that the system is functioning well. The Water Council bought a new water pump with a higher Horsepower which reduces the pumping hours and reduces the electric bill. Community members seem happy with the service as the vast majority pay water fees in a timely manner.  The Water Team's only recommendation is that the community increase the amount of chlorine from 5.0 oz. to 16.0 oz. as tests revealed low levels of chlorine at several households in the community.

 

 

Visit Other Programs in La Concepción

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 La Concepción:

Medical Dental CHW Engineering  Microfinance Public Health  Business Architecture