Empowered Community

Congratulations El Cantón, El Paraiso!

2,404

Volunteers

5,760

Medical Patient Consultations

643

Dental Patient Consultations

340

People with Access to Clean Water

569

Loans Disbursed

95

Eco-Stoves Constructed

96

Latrines Constructed

45

Trained Community Leaders

El Cantón, El Paraiso

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

Overview

El Cantón is located in a valley belonging to the municipality of Teupasenti in the department of El Paraíso. El Cantón is an agricultural community relying on the production of corn and beans for subsistence. The average family earns about 1,750 Lempiras (US $90) per month, or an average of less than US $1 per person per day. Despite their arduous work schedules on the fields, community members have been extremely invested in Global Brigades’ projects. All homes have access to clean water, public health projects, credit via the community bank, and will soon be able to seek medical attention in the new Health Center being completed by the Architecture Program.

Municipality: Teupacenti

Department: El Paraíso

Homes : 105
Population : 600
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 90
Eduaction : Up to 6th grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 2 hour 30 min

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:

El Cantón is a community located in the mountains near the municipality of Teupasenti in El Paraíso. With the help of Architecture Brigades, El Cantón now has a CESAR health center located in the center of the community. CESAR’s typically are staffed by nurses and not have doctors on staff; however, El Cantón currently has a doctor completing her social service staffing the health center. The health center is open from about 7am to 3pm. When there is only a nurse available and a community member needs to see a doctor or dentist, they must travel the CESAMO in Teupasenti. A CESAMO is a larger scale health center where at least one doctor, nurses, 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 costs money that many community members do not have.

537

Volunteers

5812

Patient Consultations

166

Vision Screenings Provided

97

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of El Canton has 5 trained Community Health Workers. Global Brigades Honduras’ Medical Program is working diligently to train volunteers as CHWs in its partner communities as part of the Holistic Model. 

Community Health Workers, or Guardianes de Salud, work on a volunteer basis as advocates for health care within their communities. While this is an existing program in Honduras and Guardianes de Salud are identified by other organizations and some health centers, Global Brigades is able to bridge gaps in access to training and provide more comprehensive technical skills. Our CHWs are some of the very few Guardianes de Salud to receive certification from the Honduran government. Our CHWs are tasked with treating and preventing common illnesses, and some of their responsibilities include first aid, supporting and caring for pregnancies and newborns, and responding to emergency situations. They are also responsible for following up with chronic patients to ensure proper administration of medications and treatments to avoid further complications. Additionally, CHWs provide support for brigades that are hosted in their area. At the completion of their training, CHWs are equipped with basic medical supplies and equipment provided by Global Brigades and its partners. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of health care supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities across the globe.

BRIGADE INFORMATION:

Medical and Dental Brigades use the El Cantón health center as their brigade site. The health center was designed with brigade structure in mind and, therefore, is very conducive to running mobile clinics. It is a 2-story building with 6 rooms and a large open meeting area. Doctors spend an average of 10 minutes with each patient and we are able to provide 6 educational charlas a day.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 624
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES: CEIBITA, EL JUTE, CHILITO, MATASANOS, LAS UBITAS, EL JUNCO, LAS UVAS, BUENAS NOCHES, CARRIZAL

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL CANTÓN:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2011 25 Wayne State University Medical Brigade May 2012 27
Central Michigan Medical Brigade March 2016 37 University of Virginia Medical Brigade January 2014 30
University of Pittsburgh Medical Brigade May 2014 38 McMaster University Medical Brigade& London University Medical Brigade & University of Ontario Medical Brigade May 2015 36
Kuztown University Medical Brigade May 2016 27 University of South Florida Medical Brigade May 2016 40
University of Kentucky Medical Brigade December 2016 28 University of Pittsburgh Medical Brigade May 2018 29
University of Maryland Baltimore County & SUNY Farmingdale State Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 15 Cypress Fairbanks High School Health TeleSquad January 2021 65
Cypress Fairbanks High School Health TeleSquad January 2021 64 RL Turner High School Health TeleSquad March 2021 13
Texas A&M University Medical June 2021 35 Coginchaug Regional High School November 2021 12

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.

672

Patient Consultations

809

Number of Extractions

297

Fillings Performed

89

Dental Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION:

Medical and Dental Brigades use the El Cantón health center as their brigade site. The health center was designed with brigade structure in mind and, therefore, is very conducive to running mobile clinics. It is a 2-story building with 6 rooms and a large open meeting area. Doctors spend an average of 10 minutes with each patient and we are able to provide 6 educational charlas a day.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 624
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES:  CEIBITA, EL JUTE, CHILITO, MATASANOS, LAS UBITAS, EL JUNCO, LAS UVAS, BUENAS NOCHES, CARRIZAL
  • BRIGADE SITE: HEALTH CENTER

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL CANTÓN:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2011 25 Wayne State University Medical Brigade May 2012 27
Central Michigan Medical Brigade March 2016 37 University of Virginia Medical Brigade January 2014 30
University of Pittsburgh Medical Brigade May 2014 38 McMaster University Medical Brigade& London University Medical Brigade & University of Ontario Medical Brigade May 2015 36
Kuztown University Medical Brigade May 2016 27 University of South Florida Medical Brigade May 2016 40
University of Kentucky Medical Brigade December 2016 28 University of Pittsburgh Medical Brigade May 2018 29
University of Maryland Baltimore County & SUNY Farmingdale State Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 15 Cypress Fairbanks High School Health TeleSquad January 2021 65
Cypress Fairbanks High School Health TeleSquad January 2021 64 RL Turner High School Health TeleSquad March 2021 13
Texas A&M University Medical June 2021 35 Coginchaug Regional High School November 2021 12

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CANTÓN’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE:

Twenty years ago, the municipal government built a gravity-based water system connecting the communities of El Cantón, El Jute, and Veracruz Matazano to the same water source. The system did not function properly in the community of El Cantón, however, as the storage tank was constructed at a very low altitude. Thus, there was not enough pressure to bring water to all homes in all communities. In an attempt to remedy the problem, the storage tank was abandoned and water was distributed directly from the distribution pipeline. Unfortunately, the new system required the community to stop centrally-treating the water, leading to increased incidence of water-borne disease. The three communities were hoping to be connected to a new system centralized in El Cantón.

N/A

Volunteers

340

Beneficiaries

9

Kilometers of Pipeline Designed

N/A

Average Community Volunteers

EL CANTÓN’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

Water Brigaders from four different universities worked in El Cantón, El Jute, and Veracruz Matasanos between March 2011 and February 2012. During that time, those volunteers worked with community members to:

  • Install a control valve at the dam and build a wall to divert stream water away from it
  • Repair and paint at 11,000-gallon chlorination tank
  • Construct a new distribution chamber to divide the water between the three communities.
  • Dig approximately 14,238 meters of trench
  • Install 14,238 meters of PVC piping and 654 meters of iron piping
  • Connect 87 houses, 2 schools, and 3 churches to the water system

El Cantón shares a water source, dam, and a part of the water system’s conduction line with the communities of El Jute and Veracruz Matasanos. During the El Cantón project, improvements were also made to the portions of the water system that serve these two neighboring communities. Water brigades worked with all three communities to install 1.5 kilometers of new, larger diameter piping in the conduction line, and install cleaning, air, and control valves in the pipeline. In addition, a pressure break tank and aerial stream crossing in the pipeline were repaired and a new distribution chamber was constructed to properly distribute an appropriate amount of water to each of the three communities. Water Councils and Basic Sanitation Committees were trained in El Cantón & El Jute.

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CANTON’S WATER CHALLENGE

Twenty years ago, the municipal government built a gravity-based water system connecting the communities of El Cantón, El Jute, and Veracruz Matazano to the same water source. The system did not function properly in the community of El Cantón, however, as the storage tank was constructed at a very low altitude. Thus, there was not enough pressure to bring water to all homes in all communities. In an attempt to remedy the problem, the storage tank was abandoned and water was distributed directly from the distribution pipeline. Unfortunately, the new system required the community to stop centrally-treating the water, leading to increased incidence of water-borne disease. The three communities were hoping to be connected to a new system centralized in El Cantón.

49

Volunteers

340

Project Beneficiaries

9

Kilometers of Pipeline Installed

5,000

Storage Tank Volume (gallons)

EL CANTON’S WATER SOLUTION

Water Brigaders from different universities worked in El Cantón, El Jute, and Veracruz Matasanos between March 2011 and February 2012. During that time, those volunteers worked with community members to:

  • Install a control valve at the dam and build a wall to divert stream water away from it
  • Repair and paint at 11,000-gallon chlorination tank
  • Construct a new distribution chamber to divide the water between the three communities.
  • Dig approximately 14,238 meters of trench
  • Install 14,238 meters of PVC piping and 654 meters of iron piping
  • Connect 87 houses, 2 schools, and 3 churches to the water system

El Cantón shares a water source, dam, and a part of the water system’s conduction line with the communities of El Jute and Veracruz Matasanos. During the El Cantón project, improvements were also made to the portions of the water system that serve these two neighboring communities. Water brigades worked with all three communities to install 1.5 kilometers of new, larger diameter piping in the conduction line, and install cleaning, air, and control valves in the pipeline. In addition, a pressure break tank and aerial stream crossing in the pipeline were repaired and a new distribution chamber was constructed to properly distribute an appropriate amount of water to each of the three communities. Water Councils and Basic Sanitation Committees were trained in El Cantón & El Jute.

WATER VOLUNTEERS IN EL CANTÓN

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Pennsylvanian State University Water Brigade March 2011 15 Texas A&M University Water Brigade March 2011 4
University of Arizona Water Brigade March 2011 9 Saint Louis University Water Brigade March 2011
Rutgers University Water Brigade March 2011 Indiana University Water Brigade March 2011
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Water Brigade March 2011 12 University of Southern California Water Brigade March 2011 21
Northwestern University Water Brigade March 2011 10 University of California Berkeley Water Brigade March 2011 13
Boston University May 2011 9 Seattle University Water Brigade June 2011 16
Johns Hopkins Water Brigade June 2011 6 Chapman University Water Brigade June 2011 6
DePaul University Water Brigade June 2011 6 Oakland University Medical Brigade December 2011 35
SUNY Stony Brook Water Brigade January 2012 23 University of Southern California Water Brigade January 2012  23
University of Virginia Water Brigade  January 2012  16  University of Rochester Water Brigade  January 2012  17
Boston University Water Brigade  January 2012  12 Columbia University Water Brigade  January 2012  6
 Saint Louis University Water Brigade January 2012  13  University of Connecticut Medical Brigade  January 2012  41
Johns Hopkins University Water Brigade January 2012 11 Washington University at St. Louis Medical Brigade January 2012  35
University of Victoria Water Brigade February 2012  15 St. Olaf University Medical Brigade February 2012  22
Brandeis University Medical Brigade  February 2012 21 Mount Allison University Water Brigade February 2012  18

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CANTÓN’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

The average income in El Cantón is 3,000 Lempiras per month, or approximately US $132. Most community members work in agriculture growing corn and beans on their own land. Unlike the neighboring community of El Jute, El Cantón community members do not grow coffee on their own land but do have the opportunity to work as employees for coffee land owners. The food grown in this community is primarily grown for subsistence but the crops are sold if there is surplus. Prior to the creation of the community bank, community members could not access formal financial institutions. Loans were inaccessible due to distance and cost. The request for loans would generally not be approved because community members do not have a fixed income or substantial consumer goods to offer as collateral. The income earned in El Cantón is seasonal and dependent on the strength of the harvest. Inability to access loans made it difficult for community members to start businesses, pay for medication, invest in increased agricultural production, and afford school supplies.

438

Volunteers

470

Loans Disbursed

23

Savings Accounts Opened

$40,498

Capital Investment

EL CANTÓN’S MICROFINANCE SOLUTION

Today, El Cantón has access to a thriving community bank, Nueva Esperanza, that provides emergency, agriculture, business, and education loans. The leadership is composed of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, credit committee, social fund committee and auditing committee. One of the cornerstones of future community projects’ success is the sustainable nature of a community bank. Investments are approved through loans, interest is then paid back on both large and small loans, and 100% of that capital stays in the community. The process allows for investment in additional community projects and lends to the economic development of El Cantón.

EL CANTÓN’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

A bakery created by six women is now one of the most prosperous businesses in El Cantón. Currently the microenterprise works with two ovens where they bake sweet bread, banana bread, vanilla bread, cookies, pizzas, and pineapple pies. During the coffee harvest they produce over 1,000 pastries daily. With the help of GB volunteers, the bakery has been able to expand their delivery system. Today, they deliver bread to 9 surrounding community by motorcycle. Additionally, volunteers have assisted in developing a business plan, sharing best practices, creating more streamlined and effective processes, and marketing/branding for the bakery. The El Cantón Bakery has provided job opportunities for bakers (beginners welcomed), drivers, administrators, and sellers. The bakery buys goods such as pineapples and eggs from community members. The women, in some cases, have been the primary providers for their families when the harvest failed. Recognizing the bakery’s success and the impact that it has had on the lives of its owners, many other community members strive to open new businesses and microenterprises.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN EL CANTÓN:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Mount Allison University Business Brigade February 2012 12 Yale University Business Brigade March 2012 10
University of Southern California Business Brigade March 2012 17 Rutgers University Business Brigade May 2012 37
Wake Forest Business Brigade December 2012 3 University of California Berkeley Business Brigade December 2012 11
Duke University Business Brigade December 2012 4 University of Southern California Business Brigade January 2013 19
Mount Allison University Business Brigade February 2013 12 Indiana University Business Brigade March 2013 16
University of Southern California Business Brigade March 2013 University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Business Brigade May 2013 50
Pittsburgh University Business Brigade May 2013 55 St Louis University Business Brigade January 2014 27
College of Charlestone Business Brigade March 2014 29 Target Professionals Business Brigade February 2015 6
John Hopkins Business Brigade May 2015 University of California Los Angeles Business Brigade March 2014  19
University of Calgary Business Brigade Summer 2014  20 Michigan State Business Brigade Summer 2014 6
Illinois Wesleyan Business Brigade December 2015 21 Columbia University Business Brigade and University of Miami Business Brigade January 2016 16
University of Southern California Business Brigade January 2016 14 Vanderbilt University Business Brigade March 2016 11

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CANTÓN’S PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE

Many community members in El Cantón lacked the resources needed to improve their homes and prevent diseases caused by unsafe living environments. The majority of homes were made of adobe, mud, and straw. Very few homes had hygiene stations, cement floors, and eco-stoves prior to the arrival of Global Brigades. Such living conditions triggered disease. The lack of hygiene stations led to high rates of diarrhea and waterborne disease, the absence of cement floors caused parasitic infection and Chagas Disease, and the lack of eco-stoves resulted in respiratory problems in many community members. Not only would the creation of health infrastructure better the health of household members through improved sanitation and hygiene, but it would also improve their quality of life as the new water storage units would reduce time spent walking to water sources and the eco-stove reduces firewood consumption by about 70%.

1,039

Volunteers

96

Sanitation Units Installed

415

People Benefited with Public Health Infrastructure

65

Hours of Public Health Education

EL CANTÓN’S PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTION

Public Health Brigaders from several different universities and the Public Health Brigades in-country team worked in El Cantón from December 2011 – August 2012.  During this time, volunteers and staff members worked with community members to:

  • Identify community leaders and train them to form the Basic Sanitation Committee
  • Increase cultural sensitivity and awareness by working side by side with qualified masons and project beneficiaries
  • Build 95 eco-stoves, 96 latrines, 95 showers, 95 water storage units, and 233 cement floors
  • Conduct educational workshops emphasizing the importance of sanitation and hygiene in the local primary school

To ensure the sustainability of the in-home infrastructure projects, the Public Health Program provides continuous follow-up in the community.  It also works with the Basic Sanitation Committee, a community body formed by local leaders which monitors the correct usage and maintenance of the new infrastructure.  Clear responsibilities and powers are assigned to each member, making the beneficiaries themselves even stronger stakeholders in the Public Health projects.

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN EL CANTÓN:

Chapter Date # Of Voluntee Chapter Date # Of Volunteers

Ohio State University Public Health Brigade 

 December 2011 10 DePaul University Public Health Brigade December 2011 19
University of Southern California Public Health Brigade  January 2012  18 San Francisco State University Public Health Brigade January 2012  8
Pennsylvania State University Public Health Brigade January 2012  10 Boston University Medical Brigade January 2012 22
Washington University in St. Louis Public Health Brigade January 2012  14 Saint Louis University Public Health Brigade January 2012 15
University of Victoria Water Brigade February 2012 15 Mount Allison University Water Brigade February 2012 17
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Public Health Brigade March 2012 16 University of Pennsylvania Medical Brigade March 2012 22
University of Arizona Public Health Brigade March 2012 9 Indiana University Public Health Brigade March 2012 23
Carnegie Mellon University Medical Brigade March 2012 27 Commonwealth Medical College Public Health Brigade March 2012 9
Seattle University Public Health Brigade March 2012 17 University of California Irvine Medical March 2012 26
University of California San Diego Medical March 2012 26 California State University Bakersfield Medical March 2012 32
University of California San Francisco March 2012 7 AthletiCo Medical Brigade March 2012 8
University of Southern California Public Health Brigade & Boston University Public Health Brigade  May 2012  22 Emory University Public Health Brigade May 2012 11
Arizona State University Medical Brigade May 2012 15 University of Tampa Public Health Brigade 19
SUNY Stony Brook University Medical Brigade May 2012 27 Cornell University Medical Brigade May 2012 8
Illinois Wesleyan University Public Health Brigade May 2012  8 Arizona State University Medical Brigade May 2012 15
Family Fathers Public Health Brigade May 2012 5 University of Michigan Medical Brigade June 2012 25
University of California Berkeley Medical Brigade June 2012 10 DePaul University Public Health Brigade June 2012 15
 University of Washington Public Heath Brigade June 2012 19 University of California Los Angeles Public Health Brigade June 2012 10
 University of California Santa Barbara Public Health Brigade June 2012 19 University of California Davis Brigade June 2012 27
 University of California  Riverside Brigade June 2012  3 Drexel University Public Health Brigade  June 2012 10
Marshall University Medical Brigade June 2012  13 University of Nottingham Medical Brigade June 2012  11
University of Birmingham Medical Brigade  June 2012 13 Dublin City University Medical Brigade June 2012 5
California State University San Bernardino Medical Brigade  June 2012 8 Internship  July 2012 5
University of Cincinnati Public Health Brigade August 2012 12 University of Texas Austin Public Health Brigade  August 2012 20
Loyola Public Health Brigade June 2012 19 Texas A&M University Medical Brigade August 2012 27
CUNY Medgar Evers College Medical Brigade August 2012 19 Elon University Medical Brigade August 2012 29

Local Reference Points

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

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