In 2006 Water1st embarked on the construction of its very first community water system in rural Honduras. The isolated mountainside village of San Gabriel began by digging five miles of pipeline trench and constructing their own 6,500-gallon storage tank. This past March, during a routine monitoring visit, we returned to the community of San Gabriel. We are happy to report that twelve years later, their community water system continues to operate at a level of sophistication that rivals small utilities in the United States. Every household in the community has its own kitchen faucet, toilet, and shower.
Clean water was just the beginning for San Gabriel. With the daily burden of water collection lifted, they were motivated and equipped to tackle other development needs. They worked with the local government to build a new school; they constructed a road that leads to their remote community once accessible only be foot or mule; new homes have been built; and without access to a local bank, they created their own loan fund. This innovative loan fund was developed by investing monthly household water service fees, the equivalent of about $1.20 per family. Rather than depositing their money in a distant bank, they lend a portion of their savings out at a moderate interest rate to community members in need of a small loan. They currently have $1,400 invested in their loan fund, promoting even greater economic development for their community.
San Gabriel has served as a model for neighboring communities as well. They have demonstrated how an organized community filled with determination can successfully move beyond the grips of extreme poverty. And they continue to step up to consult and support their neighbors’ heroic efforts to transform their own communities as they embark on the construction of their own water systems.
During our visit in March, a father from the community, Nicolas Lopez, reflected on the impact of their water system.
Those days, when we didn’t have water, I was one of the men who went to the river to help carry water because we had small children and my wife was with them. It was impossible to carry enough water home. We were always dirty. Our children ate with dirty hands. We knew they shouldn’t, but there was no alternative. Now there is always water when we open our taps. Those days before were very hard. We felt different about ourselves. Those days are over. We know that working together we have achieved this. We must tell our children stories of what it was like before so that they know. The young people should know.
Water1st was created to support water projects that would last. We hold ourselves accountable to the promise we made to follow up on our projects and continually improve. Fourteen years and 2,919 water projects later, we remain in awe of the innovation and transformation of each and every community we serve.
In the spirit of Nicolas Lopez, Happy Father’s Day to all of the amazing Fathers out there who continue to do everything in their power to lift up their families!
Watch vintage footage from construction of the San Gabriel project.
