SHI: Safe Drinking Water for 20,000 Rural Families

Karla lives in the community of Never Oporta in southern Nicaragua.  She is married and has two sons aged 19 and 11.  Her husband works as a farmer, bricklayer's helper and other roles in the community to bring income to his home. 

Since 2012 Karla has been a member of the board of directors the drinking water cooperative "La Manantial" of Never Oporta, where she has held positions such as secretary and supervisor.  She has also been a water rate collector since 2014. Over time she has been improving her skills by attending training workshops that Self-Help International (SHI) provides. 

Karla’s Work

Karla collects a monthly fee, established by a community assembly, from water users, visiting each home.  She records the people who pay and who do not pay, and delivers receipts and cash to the treasurer. Together they close out the accounting summary at the end of the month. 

Another work that Karla does is plumbing.  When the assigned plumbers are not available and there is a damaged pipe, she is the one who makes the repairs.  Even if she comes late and tired from her work, she is always willing to help with plumbing problems. She is also responsible for washing the distribution basins, monitoring the chlorination of the water and checking the residual chlorine in the homes that receive water.  Karla is committed to learning all her roles. 

In one of his visits the SHI Clean Water Program Officer asked Karla several questions about her work and her role in the water cooperative. 

Questions and Answers

How do you feel about holding a position on the Cooperative's board of directors? I feel very good because being part of the board of directors has helped me learn a lot.  I have benefitted from the training I have received from SHI.  At times it is difficult to work with some people, because they have different attitudes and ways of life. Even so, I feel satisfied with what I have done.  Sometimes I have been angry at the negative attitudes of some people, because they think that things should continue as before and they are not open to new ideas and improvements.  But there are also times when I am satisfied with the results of my work and people are open to changes that I propose. 

What motivates you to continue working in the Cooperative and for the community? What has motivated me is to keep the cooperative active.  The board of directors knows that if some of us resign from our positions, the Cooperative will disintegrate.   We work out of love for the Cooperative and the community. We also work for free. We tried to recruit new members, but those selected did not want to work for free.  My main reason for continuing to be part of the Board is to keep the water supply for the population in good condition and functioning properly, because if the cooperative fails, the water system will deteriorate, and we will have a water crisis in the community that will affect us all. 

Have you had any problems carrying out your positions in the Cooperative? Yes, I have had some minor problems but nothing difficult to manage.  For example: when the board of directors decided to ask for a loan from SHI to buy 50 water meters to better control the water use, some people who had those meters installed in their homes were upset.   They knew they would be charged for what they were really using.  Some of them wasted water and now they knew that this was a way to control them. So far, there are only about 5% of those meters installed in the community, but over time we intend to install them throughout, even if we have to apply to SHI for more funds to continue purchasing water meters. As I told the other board members, if we have already made the decision to solve this problem, we cannot go back. Now, I know how to deal with these people and my job is to raise awareness so that they are more responsible with the use of water. 

Have you made use of the knowledge learned in the SHI training workshops? Yes, we (members of the Cooperative board) have applied what they taught us. I learned in the training workshop how to calculate the water tariffs.  I developed basic management and accounting skills. Before those trainings I did not have any knowledge about them, so I thank them very much. 

Have you had problems between the work you do in the cooperative and your role as a woman, wife, mother and housewife? At first I had some problems with my husband, as he did not like the idea of me being part of the board, but now even he helps me fulfill my duties.  He understands that if we do not all get involved, the water supply will be a problem for everyone, including our family. 

What are the benefits of being a member of the drinking water cooperative? It doesn't have many extra benefits except that I get a lower water rate when I pay the water bill compared to regular users. 

Have you had any socioeconomic benefits from holding positions in the drinking water cooperative and carrying out work activities? Let me be clear on this, by holding a position as a member of the board of directors I receive no pay.  But when I do any type of plumbing work, I do get paid, because this is an extra job.  If the assigned plumber is not available, then, I take on that task and solve the problem. Then I report the work that I did and I get paid for it, generating some income for my family. On the social side, it has helped me grow as a person and learn new things.  Now the residents trust me, which makes me feel very good. It has also shaped my character because before I was quite forceful, but now I have learned to interact better with people. 

Have you also assumed the supervision and responsibility of carrying out the chlorination of the water? Yes, I also have this task under my responsibility, and I feel proud that since I have been in charge the water purification has improved. I often check the chlorine tablets and the water distribution, and I make sure that no one wastes water. I am also happy because in this duty my husband is the one who helps me the most. 

This was a fruitful conversation to learn everything that a woman can do if she has the necessary knowledge. Karla has shown that with commitment and dedication anything can be achieved, from doing previously unthinkable jobs to involving people who at the time are reluctant to accept that a woman can handle responsibilities not considered appropriate for her.