Luminapa, Langue

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

Overview

Luminapa, Langue is located within the municipality of Langue in the department of Valle in southern Honduras. The typical house is made of adobe. Children in the community have access to primary school. There is currently no water system. Most of the community members work in agriculture.

Municipality: Langue
Department: Valle

Homes : 60
Population : 265
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : Yes
Homes with Latrines : 55%
Education : Up to 6th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 52 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.

Luminapa has its own health center, a CESAMO in Langue, 3 km from the community center. The top illnesses reported by the community members during initial meetings with Global Brigades were Zika, Respiratory Infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, diabetes, and hypertension.

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

Luminapa partnered with Global Brigades to train 9 total volunteers to be Community Health Workers. These 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.

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.

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.

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LUMINAPA’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

When Global Brigades arrived in Luminapa, the community did not have a water system. Community members were forced to get water from a local stream and would load jugs of water on the backs of donkeys and walk to and from the well in order to gather enough water for their families each day. The time and energy that was necessary to retrieve water caused families to sacrifice important hygiene and sanitation practices that would require more water.

16

Volunteers

333

Beneficiaries

7.35

Kilometers of pipeline designed

25

Average community volunteers

LUMINAPA’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION

A strong partnership between Global Brigades, community leaders, World Vision, and local government allowed for the completion of a new water system in Luminapa in 2016. Community Leaders organized community participation and payments, World Vision donated the water pump, the municipality installed electricity and paid for the distribution line, and Global Brigades constructed the new 15,000-gallon storage tank with chlorinator, trained the water council, and trained the maintenance person. Community Members and Global Brigades celebrated Luminapa’s completed water system in February of 2016. Water now reaches each home as well as the school, church, and rosquillas business.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN LUMINAPA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Pennsylvania State University Engineering Brigade March 2017 16

 

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LUMINAPA’S WATER CHALLENGE

When Global Brigades arrived in Luminapa, the community did not have a water system.  Community members were forced to get water from a local stream and would load jugs of water on the backs of donkeys and walk to and from the well in order to gather enough water for their families each day. The time and energy that was necessary to retrieve water caused families to sacrifice important hygiene and sanitation practices that would require more water.

380

Volunteers

333

Project Beneficiaries

9

Kilometers of Pipeline Installed

10,000

Storage Tank Volume (gallons)

LUMINAPA’S WATER SOLUTION

In January 2019, a partnership between Luminapa, Global Brigades Honduras, the Municipality of Langue, and World Vision Honduras was officially formed. In order to plan a water system custom-designed for Luminapa, the land was first surveyed by a Global Brigades technician. 

With this and the land survey in mind, it was determined that the best fit for Luminapa would be to use a well system that utilized groundwater as well as a pump. 

With the hydrogeological research results in hand, an assembly took place in March 2017 in Luminapa. The goal was to set a plan moving forward and elect a Water Council. The job of those on the Water Council or CAPS (Comités de Agua Potable y Saneamiento) was to mobilize community volunteers, support Water Brigades on-site, and keep record construction process, tools, and laboured hours. The community members elected its representatives: President, Vice President, Secretary, Vocal and Treasurer, to monitor and offer support for the entire duration of the water project.

Brigades began working on this water system in January 2019 and through the efforts of brigades in Honduras. The system currently has a distribution network that connects the water storage tanks to 75 families, consisting of 333 individuals, as well as the community health center, primary school, and church.  

In total, the water system cost $68530 USD. Of this, the community financially supported with 5.7% of the funding. World Vision Honduras contributed with 13.3%, and Global Brigades with 17%. Outside of these funds, the value of labor that was donated by each family should be recognized.

In the interest of sustainability, once the project was completed, the members of the Water Council were trained on water treatment and system maintenance, administration, and operation, so they could continually and adequately manage the water system. Luminapa has also established a monthly water fee in order to pay the Water Council for water treatment, maintenance costs, and system sustainability.

WATER VOLUNTEERS IN LUMINAPA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Columbia University Water Brigade and University of Missouri Water Brigade January 2019 7 Seton Hall University Medical Brigade and Texas A&M University Medical Brigade January 2019 30
Syracuse Area Medical Brigade January 2019 10 Rutgers University Medical Brigade January 2019 11
Smith College Medical Brigade January 2019 24 Boston University Water Brigade January 2019 14
New Jersey Institute of Technology Engineering Brigade March 2019 10 Pennsylvania State University Medical Brigade and Western Michigan University Medical Brigade March 2019 24
Central Michigan University Medical Brigade March 2019 34 College of William and Mary Medical Brigade March 2019 30
Rice University Medical Brigade May 2019 37 North Texas Medical Brigade May 2019 20
Cornell University Medical Brigade & Johns Hopkins University Medical Brigade May 2019 24 Case Western Reserve University Medical Brigade May 2019 29
Boston University Engineering Brigade May 2019 19 Arizona State University Medical Brigade May 2019 26

 

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LUMINAPA’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE:

The majority of community members in Luminapa work in agriculture. This primarily consists of subsistence farming, although excess crops are sometimes sold. Most agricultural workers make about 100 lempiras (approximately US $4.25) daily during the rainy season. Regardless of occupation, most families earn around 4,000 lempiras per month (approximately US $170). Almost all household income is used to purchase food for consumption.

N/A

Volunteers

65

Loans Disbursed

N/A

Savings Accounts Opened

N/A

Capital Invested

LUMINAPA’S MICRO-FINANCE SOLUTION:

In 2019, Global Brigades worked alongside Luminapa to establish a community bank. The bank has members that meet every month. They are 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, who can take out loans to invest in their agricultural production and pay them back after the harvest. Loans allow many subsistence farmers to consume the crops they harvest and earn an income from selling their excess.

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LUMINAPAS’ PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE

Many community members in Luminapa lack the resources to make improvements to their household infrastructure. The majority of homes in Luminapa are made of Adobe. There are approximately 50 homes in Luminapa, with an average of 6 people living in each. The most common public health issues in Luminapa are diarrhea, zika and respiratory infections. We seek to mitigate these issues by providing adequate public health infrastructure. Hygiene stations, which include showers and water storage units, are necessary to facilitate handwashing, allow water storage for hygienic processes, and offer privacy while bathing.

Additionally, eco-stoves evacuate smoke from the living space and decrease the risk of respiratory illnesses, and latrines improve hygiene practices and prevent contamination of natural water sources caused by open defecation. By partnering with Global Brigades’ Public Health Program, Luminapa‘s inhabitants are hoping to avoid preventable diseases and adopt proper hygiene and sanitation practices.

61

Volunteers

6

Sanitation Units Installed

19

People Benefited with Public health Infrastructure

N/A

Hours of Public Health Education

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN LUMINAPA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Michigan State University Medical Brigade & Georgetown University Medical Brigade March 2017 41 North Park University Medical Brigade & Washington University in St. Louis Medical Brigade March 2019 20

 

Local Reference Points

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

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