Las Uvas, Teupasenti

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Engineering
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Las Uvas has about 100 homes and approximately 400 total residents. The main form of employment in the community is agricultural work, especially coffee farming. The most strongly expressed need of Las Uvas is access to clean water. Global Brigades has only sent one group of volunteers to Las Uvas, but hopes to continue the implementation of the holistic model because of the enthusiasm expressed the community. 

 

Municipality: Teupasenti

Department: El Paraiso

Homes : 100
Population : 400
Water System : No
Community Bank : No
Electricity : No
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 0%
Education : Up to 6th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 66 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Las Uvas seeks health care through both the health center and medical brigades in Buena Vista. Buena Vista has a smaller health center called a CESAR. CESAR’s never have doctors on staff and typically have only one nurse. The nurse staffs the health center Monday through Friday from about 9am to 3pm and lives in Morocelí on the weekends. Therefore, healthcare access is very limited.  If they need to see a doctor or dentist, they must travel down the mountain to Morocelí, the nearest town with a CESAMO, a larger-scale health centre where doctors and occasionally dentists are on staff.  The trip can take up to 3 hours on foot.  Although there is a bus that comes to the community, it does not come very often and many community members cannot afford the bus fare.

*These statistics represent brigades in the community of Buena Vista, where community members from Las Uvas attend Medical Brigades

260

Volunteers*

5,593

Patient Consultations*

N/A

Vision Screenings Provided*

136

Health Education Workshops*

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The Community Health Worker (CHW) Program began in December 2013. 2 Las Uvas volunteers were trained in Buena Vista as part of a group of 27 CHWs. Including Las Uvas and Buena Vista, there are a total of 6 communities served by these CHWs. The Community Health Workers help to provide basic medical attention in the absence of the nurse in the Community Health Center. CHWs help to treat and prevent common illnesses and address other health topics such as first aid, caring for pregnancies, and first response in emergency situations. The Community Health Workers help to provide basic medical attention in the absence of the nurse in the Community Health Center.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members from Las Uvas attend brigades in the neighboring community, Buena Vista. Since space is limited in the health center, we hold brigades at the school. The school is still relatively small, with about 5 rooms. Despite the smaller space, we always run a successful brigade.  Doctors spend an average of 10 minutes with each patient and we are able to provide 10 educational charlas a day.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 782
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES: El RETIRO, LIQUIDAMBOS, LAS UVAS

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

Working closely with the medical program, the dental program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of medical brigades. Most community members do not have regular access to dental care due to the lack of dentist within a reasonable distance.

*These statistics represent brigades in the community of Buena Vista, where community members from Las Uvas attend Medical Brigades

480

Patient Consultations*

444

Number of Extractions*

314

Fillings Performed*

85

Dental Education Workshops*

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members from Las Uvas attend brigades in the neighboring community, Buena Vista. Since space is limited in the health center, we hold brigades at the school. The school is still relatively small, with about 5 rooms. Despite the smaller space, we always run a successful brigade.  Doctors spend an average of 10 minutes with each patient and we are able to provide 10 educational charlas a day.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 782
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES: El RETIRO, LIQUIDAMBOS, LAS UVAS

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LAS UVAS’ ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

The mountain community of Las Uvas has never had a centralized water system that provides access to the entire community. The main water sources in the community are local streams and springs but the water is untreated. Community members usually load water jugs on their backs and heads and walk to and from the streams in order to gather enough water for the day. A few of the 100+ homes use plastic hoses to deliver untreated water directly to their homes to avoid having to carry it.

11

Volunteers

400

Beneficiaries

12.8

Kilometers of Pipeline Designed

8

Average Community Volunteers

LAS UVAS’ ENGINEERING SOLUTION

Global Brigade’s Engineering and Water teams plan to construct a new, full-scale gravity flow water system in Las Uvas. It will consist of a mountain spring as a water source, pipeline to a new storage tank, and a gravity-based distribution network with faucets in each home. The new Water Council will be trained on water treatment, legislation, system maintenance, administration, and operation. A community Plumber will be identified and trained on the same topics. Upon completion, a monthly water fee will be established by the community that will be paid to the Water Council for water treatment and system maintenance costs, adding to the sustainability of the project. A Basic Sanitation Committee consisting of community volunteers will be established and trained to help present educational workshops in the school to teach children about water and health related topics. Global Brigades is currently seeking funds and working on gaining support from the local municipal government to be able to break ground on this project.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN LAS UVAS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Warwick Engineering Brigade & University of California San Diego Engineering Brigade August 2016 11

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LAS UVAS’ WATER CHALLENGE:

The mountain community of Las Uvas has never had a centralized water system that provides access to the entire community. The main water sources in the community are local streams and springs but the water is untreated. Community members usually load water jugs on their backs and heads and walk to and from the streams in order to gather enough water for the day. A few of the 100+ homes use plastic hoses to deliver untreated water directly to their homes to avoid having to carry it.

NA

Volunteers

400

Project Beneficiaries

NA

Kilometers of Pipeline Installed

NA

Storage Tank Volume (gallons)

LAS UVAS’ WATER SOLUTION:

Global Brigade’s Engineering and Water teams plan to construct a new, full-scale gravity flow water system in Las Uvas. It will consist of a mountain spring as a water source, pipeline to a new storage tank, and a gravity-based distribution network with faucets in each home. The new Water Council will be trained on water treatment, legislation, system maintenance, administration, and operation. A community Plumber will be identified and trained on the same topics. Upon completion, a monthly water fee will be established by the community that will be paid to the Water Council for water treatment and system maintenance costs, adding to the sustainability of the project. A Basic Sanitation Committee consisting of community volunteers will be established and trained to help present educational workshops in the school to teach children about water and health related topics. Global Brigades is currently seeking funds and working on gaining support from the local municipal government to be able to break ground on this project.

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Uvas but has not yet begun with the Business Brigades program. Las Uvas has a successful community bank that was established before the arrival of Global Brigades. Global Brigades plans to train, equip, and strengthen the community bank and potential community businesses once feasible.

Community Bank : Yes
Community Bank Members : 22
Economic Activities : Agriculture, Coffee, Laborers
Existing Microenterprises : Coffee Sales

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Uvas but has not yet begun with the Public Health program. Now in the planning phase, the delivery and installation of household health products will start as soon as feasible.

% of Homes with Latrines : 0%
% of Homes with Eco-stoves : 0%
% of Homes with Water Filters : 0%
Common House Materials : Adobe

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

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