Fight childhood disease with safe drinking water

Hi Agua Pura Supporters!
I’m sorry, I sometimes get so involved with our projects and plans for future trips that I forget to share the news with our supporters - you - who make all our work possible.  Because I’m grateful to each one of you, It’s important to me to keep you up to date on how your donations are being used.  We’re proud of our work and you should be too.

We’re leaving on October 9 for Honduras to continue our program of training health workers and others in our methods of water testing and water purification.  last year you remember that we started safe water programs in several mountain communities in North Western Honduras. We distributed hundreds of Water Pasteurization Indicators (WAPI’s), trained over 20 water system managers in accurate testing methods, and started hand washing programs in schools wherever we went.  The program was a great success so now we’re headed back to continue the work!

This time we will be working with the operators of small community pharmacies called “botiquines”.  They may only consist of a shelf in someones home, stocked with very simple supplies,  but these pharmacies are often all the community has. We’ll be training the operators of the pharmacies, “botiquineros”, in water testing and water purification techniques and providing them with supplies.  Now they will become an even more important part of the communities health system.

Our goal is to reduce or eliminate dangerous childhood diarrhea by providing clean water and basic sanitation to families.  The botiquineros will be on the front line of that effort.  A nurse on our staff will be training them in simple diagnosis and treatment of acute newborn dehydration due to diarrhea, so that they spot the problem early and get correct help for the child.  Our nurse will also train them in the other major childhood killer, infant respiratory infections (pneumonia).
I’m excited about our upcoming project, it will be our biggest yet.  Your support is what makes these trips possible. You have already helped a lot, but if you want to make a special donation to help offset the costs of this trip I will really appreciate it.  I think you can make a comment about the purpose of your donation on our Global Giving page or you can write to me at tom@aguapuraparaelpueblo.org , and depending on internet access I’ll try to reply from Honduras.

Thanks,

Tom Carter

Links:

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