Granadilla

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

Overview

 

Granadilla is located in a valley in the municipality of Morocelí, El Paraíso, Honduras. Community members suffer from malnutrition, respiratory infections, diarrheal disease, and dermatitis, most of which result from the lack of proper hygiene and sanitation. School is offered until 6th grade, at which point children either begin to work in agriculture to support their families or seek higher education outside the community. While the community of Granadilla does not have higher education or a dedicated health center, it is relatively easy for community members to seek services in nearby towns. The average family income is estimated at 2250 lempiras per month (approximately $95).

Municipality: Morocelí

Department: El Paraíso

Homes : 96
Population : 500
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No, 15 minutes by bus
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 90%
Education : Up to 6th grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 25 minutes

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:

The closest health center is in a nearby community called El Campo. This health center is considered a CESAMO, which is a small clinic with usually one doctor, nurses, and occasionally a dentist on staff. To reach the health center, community members can either take a bus for 15 minutes or walk approximately 1 hour. Granadilla is located close to a main road and has access to two municipalities via bus, La Villa de San Francisco and Morocelí. These are main areas of commerce where community members can get access to more resources. However, it is still a relatively remote community very far from any major cities. During brigades, patients come from about 4 different communities to receive medical and dental care.

653

Volunteers

3,804

Patient Consultations

238

Vision Screenings Provided

93

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

In April of 2016, Global Brigades started training 14 Community Health Workers based out of Granadilla. They work in conjunction with the health center in El Campo in order to increase the sustainability and strength of their impact. CHWs are trained to provide first aid, track individuals with chronic illnesses, and advocate for their community’s health. 

Through the CHW initiative, Global Brigades intends to resolve health disparities in our partner communities (particularly for patients with chronic illnesses) by creating access to a sustainable healthcare presence in communities that can help treat patients or refer them to seek further medical attention. In doing so, the CHW Program aims to empower communities and CHWs themselves so that they have a reliable health system within their communities that is ultimately independent of Global Brigades’ involvement. Global Brigades staff who trained the CHWs have follow-up meetings with each group of CHWs once a month in order to answer questions, collect patient logs recorded by each CHW, and ensure the CHW program is running successfully in communities.

BRIGADE INFORMATION:

Since Granadilla does not have a health center, the brigade is held at the school.  Since this community is small, the school is relatively small with only 3 rooms.  There is ample outdoor space for charlas and triage, which helps run a successful brigade despite the small space. Brigades will see an average of 325 patients each brigade day, and doctors typically spend about 10 minutes with each patient.  Brigades can provide an average of 5-6 adult charlas a day, totaling about 5 hours of adult health education for each brigade.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 203
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES: VILLA NUEVA, QUEBRADA GRANDE

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS THE GRANADILLA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Acadia University Medical Brigade May 2012 17 University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Brigade March, 2013 23
University of Arizona Professional Medical Brigade & William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine Medical Brigade December 2013 33 University of Oklahoma Medical Brigade May 2014 34
University of Maryland Medical Brigade and University of Maryland Baltimore Medical Brigade January 2015 43 Dalhousie University Medical Brigade & New Brunswick Medical Brigade August 2015 33
New York Medical College Medical Brigade June 2016 38 Johns Hopkins University Medical Brigade January 2018 24
New York Medical College Medical Brigade April 2018 13 Miami University of Ohio Medical Brigade & Northern Arizona University Medical Brigade May 2018 30
Belmont University Medical Brigade March 2019 26 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Medical Brigade May 2019 46
DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2019 32 Jefferson University Medical TeleBrigade November 2020 42
University of Kansas Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 22 East Central High School January 2021 40
Marina High School April 2021 28 California Polytechnic State University San Louis Obispo Medical May 2021 15
Southwest High School HOSA Health Telesquad January 2022 19 Saint Ambrose Medical TeleBrigade August 2022 24
University of Tennessee Medical Brigade January 2022 24

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

In 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 dentists within a reasonable distance.

320

Patient Consultations

285

Number of extractions

179

Fillings Performed

53

Dental Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION:

Since Granadilla does not have a health center, the brigade is held at the school.  Since this community is small, the school is relatively small with only 3 rooms.  There is ample outdoor space for charlas and triage, which helps run a successful brigade despite the small space. Brigades will see an average of 325 patients each brigade day, and doctors typically spend about 10 minutes with each patient.  Brigades are able to provide an average of 5-6 adult charlas a day, totaling about 5 hours of adult health education each brigade.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 203
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES: VILLA NUEVA, QUEBRADA GRANDE

DENTAL VOLUNTEERS THE GRANADILLA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Acadia University Medical Brigade May 2012 17 University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Brigade March, 2013 23
University of Arizona Professional Medical Brigade & William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine Medical Brigade December 2013 33 University of Oklahoma Medical Brigade May 2014 34
University of Maryland Medical Brigade and University of Maryland Baltimore Medical Brigade January 2015 43 Dalhousie University Medical Brigade & New Brunswick Medical Brigade August 2015 33
New York Medical College Medical Brigade June 2016 38 Johns Hopkins University Medical Brigade January 2018 24
New York Medical College Medical Brigade April 2018 13 Miami University of Ohio Medical Brigade & Northern Arizona University Medical Brigade May 2018 30
Belmont University Medical Brigade March 2019 26 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Medical Brigade May 2019 46
DePaul University Medical Brigade December 2019 32 Jefferson University Medical TeleBrigade November 2020 42
University of Kansas Medical TeleBrigade January 2021 22 East Central High School January 2021 40
Marina High School April 2021 28 California Polytechnic State University San Louis Obispo Medical May 2021 15
Southwest High School HOSA Health Telesquad January 2022 19 Saint Ambrose Medical TeleBrigade August 2022 24
University of Tennessee Medical Brigade January 2022 24

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

GRANADILLA ENGINEERING CHALLENGE:

Prior to their partnership with Global Brigades, there was no large-scale infrastructure that brought running water to the homes of Granadilla. Community members accessed water year-round from two shallow wells with hand pumps installed in spring within the community. There was also a small stream that ran through the community that families often used for washing clothes, bathing, and domestic needs. Some families live relatively close to the spring and stream, while others have to walk significant distances to carry water back to their homes. Since the water was pumped directly out of the spring and there was no central water storage or distribution system, Granadilla was unable to centrally and consistently treat their water. Thus, families were typically using contaminated water and might not have been treating the water in their homes. Untreated water is the root cause of many of the health concerns of the community members.

3

Volunteers

476

Beneficiaries

66

Kilometers of Piping Designed

25

Average Community Volunteers

GRANADILLA’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

Engineering Brigaders began designing a water system in Granadilla in July 2014. Throughout the following months, Global Brigades worked with community members to locate a viable source near the community, test the quantity and quality of the water at the source, measure approximately 6,600 meters of the future water system, place stakes at 100-meter intervals to mark the future system and plan 104 household connections to the system.

To ensure the sustainability of the project, Global Brigades worked very closely with the Water Council throughout the design process to locate the nearest water sources to the community, speak with family members from each house, conduct soil tests, and more. The Water Council has also been trained on their responsibilities beyond just implementing the water project and has been charged with tasks such as managing the system’s budget, overseeing plumbers to maintain the system, and sustaining the project long term. Their patience, dedication, and commitment to bringing access to clean water have helped facilitate this design process tremendously and will continue the sustainability of the design and water project in Granadilla.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN GRANADILLA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
2014 Summer Interns Engineering Brigade July 2014  3

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

GRANADILLA’S WATER CHALLENGE:

Prior to their partnership with Global Brigades, there was no large-scale infrastructure that brought running water to the homes of Granadilla. Community members accessed water year-round from two shallow wells with hand pumps installed in spring within the community. There was also a small stream that ran through the community that families often used for washing clothes, bathing, and domestic needs. Some families live relatively close to the spring and stream, while others have to walk significant distances to carry water back to their homes. Since the water was pumped directly out of the spring and there was no central water storage or distribution system, Granadilla was unable to centrally and consistently treat their water. Thus, families were typically using contaminated water and might not have been treating the water in their homes. Untreated water is the root cause of many of the health concerns of the community members.

85

Volunteers

476

Project Beneficiaries

66

Kilometers of Piping Designed

15,000

Storage Tank Volume (gallons)

GRANADILLA’S WATER SOLUTION:

Water quality tests determined that the local spring was a viable source of water, and a pump was installed to extract the water. Now, the pump moves water through a conduction line from the well to an elevated storage tank which was constructed as part of the water project. This tank serves not only for water storage but also for water treatment. Once treated, the water is safe for human consumption. The water travels through the distribution network, which was constructed collaboratively among Global Brigades technicians, Global Brigades volunteers, and local community members. Faucets were installed in each home in order to provide every community member with easy access to clean drinking water.

WATER VOLUNTEERS IN GRANADILLA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Memorial University of Newfoundland Water Brigade July 2015 16 University of Washington Water Brigade August 2015 9
Queen Mary University of London Water Brigade & University of San Diego Water Brigade August 2015 39 Dalhousie University Water Brigade & University of New Brunswick Water Brigade August 2015 21

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

GRANADILLA’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

The average family income is estimated to be 2,250 Lempiras per month, which is approximately 450 Lempiras (approximately US $19) per person. Many families depend on agriculture as their main source of income. Community members often work on rented land or are hired employees on nearby watermelon farms. Within the community, corn and beans are the standard crops produced and also staples of household consumption. The majority of homes are made of adobe. Because Granadilla is located close to the highway, community members have better access to transportation and outside work opportunities than in some remote areas.

56

Volunteers

247

Loans Disbursed

8

Savings Accounts Opened

$1,500

Capital Investment

GRANADILLA’S MICROFINANCE SOLUTION

In June 2016, Global Brigades helped Granadilla to establish their community bank. The bank has 11 female and 5 male shareholders, and the members meet in the bank every month. The bank is able to offer loans and savings accounts to community members so that families can plan and stabilize their finances. This is especially beneficial for farmers so that they are able to take out loans before planting season and pay them back after the harvest. Loans are now allowing many subsistence farmers to sell their crops and not just use them for consumption.

GRANADILLA’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

One successful micro-enterprise in Granadilla is a grain and agricultural store. Because the surrounding communities are economically dependent upon agriculture, the store provides a sustainable method for them to buy and sell their own seeds, fertilizers, supplies, and crops. Producers benefit from this business because they often cannot transport their own crops to the nearest market and have to sell them to middlemen at artificially low prices. Consumers benefit as well because they usually have to travel to the nearest town to buy fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and other supplies.

Granadilla is also hoping to start a bakery with the support of Global Brigades. With this business, they aim to provide steady incomes and job opportunities to several women in the community.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN THE GRANADILLA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Johns Hopkins University Business Brigade January 2015 7 University of Southern California Business Brigade March 2016 24
University of California Berkeley Business Brigade May 2015 11 Brandeis University Business Brigade January 2017 14

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

GRANADILLA’S PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE

Two of the most common illnesses seen by community members in Granadilla are respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases. Both of these can be prevented by proper in-home public health infrastructure and sanitation education. Community members noted that there are about 20 new homes that do not have latrines and about 50 homes with latrines that do not function well. Less than 10% of the homes in Granadilla have eco-stoves, and about 10% of homes are estimated to have cement floors. All of these living situations lead to health risks and poor sanitation in the home.

NA

Volunteers

59

Eco-Stoves Constructed

NA

Latrines Constructed

59

Water Filters Delivered

GRANADILLA’S PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTION

Most members of Granadilla cannot afford to buy their own latrines or other public health projects. However, thanks to an established community bank in the community, the Public Health team is now able to offer latrines, eco-stoves, and water filters with a loan so that each household could make a long-term investment. To ensure the sustainability of the in-home infrastructure projects, the Public Health Program provides follow-up in the community to monitor the longevity of the projects. It also partners 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, and all members are expected to train community households on important hygiene and sanitation topics as well as the use and maintenance of public health projects.

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature

The Largest Movement for Global Health and Holistic Development

“Global Brigades” refers to one or more Global Brigades entities, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity; “Global Brigades, Inc.,” “Global Brigades Health and Development,” “Global Brigades UK,” “GBO Ghana,” “Asociacion Global Brigadas de Honduras,” and “Fundacion Brigadas Globales de Panama”. Global Brigades Health and Development (“Global Brigades Canada”) is a federally registered Canadian charity independent from Global Brigades Inc.

Guidestar 2021