La Chichigua

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

Overview

La Chichigua is located within the municipality of Alauca in the department of El Paraíso in central Honduras. The typical house is made of adobe. Children in the community have access to education up to ninth grade. Most of the community members work in agriculture. The top needs expressed by La Chichigua’s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades include improvements to the water system, in-home public health infrastructure, and medical attention.

Municipality: Alauca
Department: El Paraíso

Homes : 118
Population : 800
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Yes
Homes with Latrines : 25%
Education : Up to 9th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 86 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

The Honduran government provides two different types of health centers throughout rural Honduras: Centros de Salud Médico Odontológico (CESAMOs) and Centros de Salud Rural (CESARs). CESAMOs are the larger of the two, often found in municipalities, and typically have at least one physician on staff at all times with nurses and potentially a dentist. CESARs are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. Even with this coverage, it is important to note that medications, supplies, and materials are often not available in these health centers and the physician density in Honduras remains around 1,220 people for every one doctor. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a maximum of 435 people per physician to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

There is no health center in the community of La Chichigua. If community members need to seek medical attention, they must walk five kilometers to the nearest CESAMO in Alauca. The most common illnesses reported by community members include asthma, the common cold, arterial hypertension, and diabetes.

349

Volunteers

3,991

Patient Consulations

242

Vision Screenings Provided

93

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

La Chichigua currently has access to 3 Community Health Workers (CHWs). However, these CHWs were not trained by Global Brigades. Our Medical Program is actively working to assess the current CHWs’ knowledge, recruit additional volunteers, and provide supplemental training and certification.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in La Chichigua attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in the community’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s five classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of seven educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 312
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: RIO ARRIBA, MOMOTOMBO, CONGOJO, LAS ANONAS

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN LA CHICHIGUA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Friends of Honduran Children Medical Brigade April 2012 9 Washington University at St. Louis Medical Brigade January 2013 15
University of California Santa Cruz Medical Brigade June 2013 30 University of California Santa Cruz Medical Brigade January 2014 32
University of Missouri Medical Brigade May 2014 34 University of Arizona Medical Brigade May 2015 31
University of Southern California Medical Brigade & University of Maryland Medical Brigade January 2016 28 Johns Hopkins University Medical Brigade January 2017 23
New Hampshire Area Medical Brigade May 2017 23 Central Michigan University Medical Brigade March 2018 30
Illinois Wesleyan University Medical Brigade June 2018 30 California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo Medical Brigade & DePaul University Medical Brigade March 2019 16
Carleton University Medical Brigade & University of New Brunswick Fredericton Medical Brigade & University of New Brunswick Saint John Medical Brigade August 2019 22 DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2019 32

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 a dentist within a reasonable distance.

Statistics included are from brigades indicated with an asterisk (*) in the brigade list.

251

Patient Consultations

259

Number of Extractions

142

Fillings Performed

74

Dental Education Workshop

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in La Chichigua attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in the community’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s five classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of seven educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 312
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: RIO ARRIBA, MOMOTOMBO, CONGOJO, LAS ANONAS

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN LA CHICHIGUA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Friends of Honduran Children Medical Brigade April 2012 9 Washington University at St. Louis Medical Brigade January 2013 15
University of California Santa Cruz Medical Brigade June 2013 30 University of California Santa Cruz Medical Brigade January 2014 32
University of Missouri Medical Brigade May 2014 34 University of Arizona Medical Brigade May 2015 31
University of Southern California Medical Brigade & University of Maryland Medical Brigade January 2016 28 Johns Hopkins University Medical Brigade January 2017 23
New Hampshire Area Medical Brigade May 2017 23 Central Michigan University Medical Brigade March 2018 30
Illinois Wesleyan University Medical Brigade June 2018 30 California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo Medical Brigade & DePaul University Medical Brigade March 2019 16
Carleton University Medical Brigade & University of New Brunswick Fredericton Medical Brigade & University of New Brunswick Saint John Medical Brigade August 2019 22 DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2019 32

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LA CHICHIGUA’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

Currently, La Chichigua has an obsolete gravity water system that was constructed in 1982. The water source for this system is a spring near the community, but the community has grown significantly since the water system was constructed and because of this water is becoming scarcer. The population growth within the community has led to more people to move to higher elevations and as a result of this many are left without water to their homes due to the initial systems design being gravity based. The community currently only receives water every 5 days and every 10 days during the dryer summer months. La Chichigua is currently searching for a new ground source of water where they wish to pump up water to meet the community’s current and future needs.

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in La Chichigua but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the implementation of any improvements to the community’s existing water system will follow the Engineering Program’s assessment and start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in La Chichigua but has not yet begun with the Business Program. Now in the planning phase, the Business Program will conduct an evaluation of the existing community bank as soon as feasible, followed by market studies and investment in an anchor business to provide additional capital.

Community Bank : Yes
Community Bank Members : 26
Economic Activities : Agriculture
Existing Microenterprises : None

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

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

Homes with Latrines : 25%
Homes with Eco-Stoves : None
Homes with Water FIlters : N/A
Common House Materials : Adobe

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature