By Orlando Jose Montiel Salas | Program Officer, Water Project
In this first quarter of the year, Self-Help International has been conducting visits to each community where we have chlorinators installed with the purpose of providing technical support, advising, and assistance in order to keep the CT-8 chlorinators operating effectively and efficiently. Self-Help staff also went to several communities where no chlorinators, or any other type of water treatment, were yet installed to promote the CTI-8 chlorinators by means of technical presentation, chlorinator display, and discussions explaining the benefits of this technology.
During this time, Self-Help installed five new CTI-8 chlorinators in the following municipalities: Morrito, San Miguelito, San Carlos and El Castillo. Staff also distributed 260 chlorinator tablets to all of the communities that benefit from this program. Up until today we have installed 27 CTI-8 chlorinators and provided clean water to 28,278 people, preventing several kinds of preventable illnesses like diarrhea.
In the communities where we have CTI-8 chlorinators installed, the people have shared with Self-Help International that they are really happy and thankful for the organization and its staff for providing the opportunity to improve water quality. Now they feel more confident when they drink the treated water. Also because SHI provides advising on how to avoid illnesses by taking actions such as using the chlorinated water to wash their hands after using the facilities, wash their hands before each time of meal, wash the dishes, wash the vagetables and fruits before using them and eating to prevent diahrrea, parasites, and renal infections. People in the community have said that their children look much healthier now that have access to clean water, rather than the raw water that comes from other water systems. They have noticed that the children don’t have diarrhea as often as before, so this program is having a great impact on the entire community.
In January SHI also got the results of the water analysis the was done last year at the beginning of December. In the featured photos, you will see some of the CAPS members, MINSA (Health Department), and other leaders from each community that came to the Fred Strohbehn Training Center to learn about the status of the quality of their drinking water.
Self-Help staff is also planning to meet with the mayor from San Miguelito to discuss outreach. With her guidance SHI can reach more communities and people that are still thinking about getting the CTI-8 technology for their use. It may take some time for us to do so but our next goal is to work along with the mayor of each municipality, as some CAPS don’t have the technology due to the lack of money. If they get monetary support from their mayors, it may be easier for them to convince themselves that the program is good for them. So far some of them are questioning it, as they don’t want to pay for something that may not be good for them.
Your support has provided these communities with an opportunity to take ownership over their town's water quality and impove the health of their families and neighbors. Thank you for your generous donation.
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