El Obraje

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

Overview

El Obraje is located within the municipality of Danli in the department of El Paraiso in Midwest Honduras. The typical house is made of Adobe and Cement Blocks. Children in the community have access to Kindergarden and Centro Básico. There is a gravity water system that uses groundwater in  that functions well in the community. Most of the community members work in Agriculture. The top needs expressed by El Obraje‘s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades are improved access to health, public health infrastructure and water system renovations.

Municipality: Danli
Department: El Paraiso

Homes : 550
Population : 2750
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 36%
Education : Up to 9th grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 77 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.

Community members in El Obraje most travel five kilometers to the nearest health center in Jutiapa which is a CESAMO. During initial communications with Global Brigades, community leaders in El Obraje reported that the most common illnesses are diarrhea, respiratory infections and malnutrition.

599

Brigade Volunteers

10,880

Patient Consulations

1,334

Vision Screenings Provided

335

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of El Obraje does not yet have 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. El Obraje will receive training as soon as possible to further support the health of its community members.

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

Community members in El Obraje attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in El Obraje‘s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s 13 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each brigade sees an average of 864 patients and performs an average of 79 dental procedures. Each day of the brigade, an average of 8 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED:864
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: El Coyolar, Jutiapa, El Benque y Las Minas
BRIGADE SITE: El Obraje School

MEDICAL/DENTAL BRIGADES IN EL OBRAJE

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign May 2012 68 NYVT Nurses Unite March 2013 22
Boston University January 2014 36 Wellesley College January 2014 36
University of Michigan & Dearborn May 2014 43 Emory University May 2015 49
University of Oklahoma May 2016 51 Cornell University May 2017 23
Acadia University April 2018 29 Rutgers University & New Brunswick (New Jersey) August 2018 34
Arizona State University March 2019 36 Stetson University March 2019 36
Appalachian State University March 2019 36 Texas A&M University August  2019 35
Wayne University August 2019 35 Pace University Medical TeleBrigade October 2020 29
Boston University Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 50 Central Michigan State University & Cornell University Medical TeleBrigade February 2021 16
Indiana University Medical May 2021 4 University of Michigan Medical May 2021 6
University of California Davis Medical August 2021 18 Florida Atlantic University Medical May 2022 23
Syracuse University Medical Brigade January 2023 20

 

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.

957

Patient Consultations

1,172

Number of extractions

451

Fillings Performed

166

Dental Education Workshop

Community members in El Obraje attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in El Obraje‘s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s 13 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each brigade sees an average of 864 patients and performs an average of 79 dental procedures. Each day of the brigade, an average of 8 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED:864
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: El Coyolar, Jutiapa, El Benque y Las Minas
BRIGADE SITE: El Obraje School

MEDICAL/DENTAL BRIGADES IN EL OBRAJE

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign May 2012 68 NYVT Nurses Unite March 2013 22
Boston University January 2014 36 Wellesley College January 2014 36
University of Michigan & Dearborn May 2014 43 Emory University May 2015 49
University of Oklahoma May 2016 51 Cornell University May 2017 23
Acadia University April 2018 29 Rutgers University & New Brunswick (New Jersey) August 2018 34
Arizona State University March 2019 36 Stetson University March 2019 36
Appalachian State University March 2019 36 Texas A&M University August  2019 35
Wayne University August 2019 35 Pace University Medical TeleBrigade October 2020 29
Boston University Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 50 Central Michigan State University & Cornell University Medical TeleBrigade February 2021 16
Indiana University Medical May 2021 4 University of Michigan Medical May 2021 6
University of California Davis Medical August 2021 18 Florida Atlantic University Medical May 2022 23
Syracuse University Medical Brigade January 2023 20

 

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Obraje but has not yet begun with the Engineering Program. Now in the planning phase, the evaluation of the community’s existing water system and design of any necessary improvements will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : 500
Water Council : yes

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Obraje 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 : 500
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Obraje but has not yet begun with the Business Program. Now in the planning phase, a community bank will be established as soon as feasible.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Agriculture
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Obraje 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 : 36%
Homes with Eco-Stoves : 3%
Homes with Water FIlters : 18%
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