Pajarillos

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

Overview

Pajarillos started working with Global Brigades in medical, water, public health, and microfinance projects and brigades since 2008. The average family income is estimated to be 2,000 Lempiras per month, which is approximately L400 (US $17) per person. The majority of homes are made of adobe. The main form of employment is agriculture on owned land, and the main products that are cultivated in the community are corn and beans. Pajarillos’ educational system includes kindergarten and primary school (until sixth grade), but all classes are offered in the same building.

Municipality: Cantarranas

Department: Francisco Morazán

Homes : 180
Population : 1,027
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : No
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Yes
Homes with Latrines : 80%
Education : Up to 9th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 1 hr

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.

Pajarillos does not have a health center in the community. The nearest health center is a CESAMO in Cantarranas, about two hours away on foot. Dental care is not available in the community, though it is available at the health center in Cantarranas. The most common illnesses seen by community members are respiratory infections, Chagas, and the flu.

292

Volunteers

3,132

Patient Consultations

N/A

Vision Screenings Provided

53

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

Pajarillos has access to a total of eight Community Health Workers (CHWs). These CHWs were trained in Pajarillos and provide their services to a total of three communities. Five of them live in Pajarillos. 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 Pajarillos 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 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 676
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: PLAN FRESCO, QUEBOACHOS, ARNOSA, SAN JOSE DE RAMOS, MAJADA VERDE, EL HATILLO, BARTOLO, JICARTO, TOMATIN

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEER IN PAJARILLOS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Carnegie Mellon Medical Brigade March 2012 25 Middle Tennessee State University Medical Brigade & CUNY Medgar Evers Medical Brigade August 2012 19
Acadia College Medical Brigade May 2013 48 University of Florida Medical Brigade December 2013 37
University of Oklahoma Medical Brigade May 2014 36 University of Connecticut Medical Brigade & University of Minnesota Medical Brigade January 2015 49
SUNY Stony Brook Medical Brigade & SUNY New Paltz Medical Brigade May 2015 57

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.

353

Patient Consultations

428

Number of Extractions

187

Fillings Performed

43

Dental Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in Pajarillos 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 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 676
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: PLAN FRESCO, QUEBOACHOS, ARNOSA, SAN JOSE DE RAMOS, MAJADA VERDE, EL HATILLO, BARTOLO, JICARTO, TOMATIN

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEER IN PAJARILLOS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Carnegie Mellon Medical Brigade March 2012 25 Middle Tennessee State University Medical Brigade & CUNY Medgar Evers Medical Brigade August 2012 19
Acadia College Medical Brigade May 2013 48 University of Florida Medical Brigade December 2013 37
University of Oklahoma Medical Brigade May 2014 36 University of Connecticut Medical Brigade & University of Minnesota Medical Brigade January 2015 49
SUNY Stony Brook Medical Brigade & SUNY New Paltz Medical Brigade May 2015 57

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

PAJARILLOS’ ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

Prior to partnering with Global Brigades, the community of Pajarillos relied on a potable water system that was not adequate for its needs. That system, built in 1985, was originally designed and constructed for only a portion of the houses in the community. Still, these homes could go 3 to 4 days without water, and up to weeks during the dry season. During the dry season, people received as little as 2 gallons per person per day. Illnesses related to water and poor sanitation were common. The water was occasionally treated when community leaders had the funds to purchase the chlorine. However, the people were not paying the water fee and the lack of a complete water council made it difficult to purchase chlorine. As a resource-constrained community, Pajarillos did not have the funds to improve their existing system, nor to consider constructing a new system. The community had previously solicited support from government organizations without receiving any help. Water Brigades came to an agreement with the community of Pajarillos to assist in the reconstruction of their water system.

N/A

Volunteers

700

Beneficiaries

3.2

Kilometers of Pipeline Designed

N/A

Average Community Volunteers

PAJARILLOS’ ENGINEERING SOLUTION

Water Brigades from nine different universities worked in Pajarillos from January to March 2010. During that time, the volunteers worked with community members to:

  • Construct a new dam with a spillway and intake infrastructure
  • Build a new conduction line Install all cleaning, air release, and control valves
  • Repair storage tanks and chlorinator
  • Redesign and build entire distribution network
  • Provide educational seminars to children in the community on water and health related topics

When Water Brigades first partnered the community of Pajarillos in January 2010, they expressed a new water system as one of their top necessities. However, the community lacked strong leadership and organization. The biggest challenge of the project in Pajarillos, and perhaps the biggest success, was working with and eventually seeing the change in community organization and buy-in to the water project. To ensure the sustainability of the project, a new seven member Water Council was established and trained by Water Brigades in addition to a Basic Sanitation Committee also trained by Water Brigades.

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

PAJARILLOS’ WATER CHALLENGE

Prior to partnering with Global Brigades, the community of Pajarillos relied on a potable water system that was not adequate for its needs. That system, built in 1985, was originally designed and constructed for only a portion of the houses in the community. Still, these homes could go 3 to 4 days without water, and up to weeks during the dry season. During the dry season, people received as little as 2 gallons per person per day. Illnesses related to water and poor sanitation were common. The water was occasionally treated when community leaders had the funds to purchase the chlorine. However, the people were not paying the water fee and the lack of a complete water council made it difficult to purchase chlorine. As a resource-constrained community, Pajarillos did not have the funds to improve their existing system, nor to consider constructing a new system. The community had previously solicited support from government organizations without receiving any help. Water Brigades came to an agreement with the community of Pajarillos to assist in the reconstruction of their water system.

208

Volunteers

700

Project Beneficiaries

3.2

Kilometers of Pipeline Installed

10,000

Storage Tank Volume (gallons)

PAJARILLOS’ WATER SOLUTION

Water Brigades from nine different universities worked in Pajarillos from January to March 2010. During that time, the volunteers worked with community members to:

  • Construct a new dam with a spillway and intake infrastructure
  • Build a new conduction line Install all cleaning, air release, and control valves
  • Repair storage tanks and chlorinator
  • Redesign and build entire distribution network
  • Provide educational seminars to children in the community on water and health related topics

When Water Brigades first partnered the community of Pajarillos in January 2010, they expressed a new water system as one of their top necessities. However, the community lacked strong leadership and organization. The biggest challenge of the project in Pajarillos, and perhaps the biggest success, was working with and eventually seeing the change in community organization and buy-in to the water project. To ensure the sustainability of the project, a new seven member Water Council was established and trained by Water Brigades in addition to a Basic Sanitation Committee also trained by Water Brigades.

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

PAJARILLOS’ ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Rural communities in Honduras face a number of structural obstacles when it comes to economic growth. Access to credit is limited by physical barriers in transportation and exclusion from formal financial institutions. This exclusion can be the result of a lack of financial literacy, credit history, and land titles or substantial consumer goods to offer as collateral. If community members aren’t able to access these institutions, their only option is to solicit credit from coyotes, or loan sharks, who charge exorbitant interest rates. Additionally, maintaining savings is not a common practice in rural communities in Honduras.

In Pajarillos, the average family income is estimated to be 2,000 Lempiras per month, which is approximately L400 (US $17) per person. The majority of homes are made of adobe. The main form of employment in Pajarillos is agriculture on owned land, and the primary crops produced are corn and beans. Economic growth faces additional obstacles due to the community’s dependence on agriculture, as its inhabitants’ incomes are earned on a seasonal basis, determined by crop yields, and susceptible to external factors like weather and plant disease.

184

Volunteers

505

Loans Disbursed

N/A

Savings Accounts Opened

$16,857

Capital Invested

PAJARILLOS’ MICROFINANCE SOLUTION

The Business Program works to stimulate the local economy by organizing community volunteers around a community bank, or caja rural, which is entirely owned and operated by its members. Focusing on providing access to credit and savings for their fellow community members, its volunteers are tasked with socializing the community bank and managing the funds. The Business Program provides training and support to help strengthen these community banks and stimulate the flow of capital within the community. These financial services are especially beneficial for subsistence farmers, who can invest more heavily in their production with a loan, pay back the loan after the harvest, and generate an income with any excess.

Pajarillos’ community bank, Producción en Marcha, was established in 2010 with the support of Global Brigades and FUNDER. The community bank has 8 female and 10 male shareholders. In order to pool their limited funds together, increase the capital available to the community bank, and expand the impact of its financial services, each member contributes a monthly share or fee for which they receive a proportional amount of the bank’s dividends at the end of its fiscal year.

PAJARILLOS’ BUSINESS SOLUTION

In addition to working with the community bank, the Business Program provides support and technical skills in establishing anchor businesses that generate additional capital. The goal is to better integrate isolated communities into the local economy and allow for growth. During this process, interested community members receive training to increase their familiarity with business terminology, develop their business administration skills, and promote innovation and diversification in the types of business ventures they pursue.

Pajarillos has successfully established four different microenterprises, which provide additional capital for the community bank. They now operate independently of Global Brigades to maintain their community bank and small business ventures.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN PAJARILLOS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Arizona State University Medical Brigade & Louisiana State University Medical Brigade N/A 46 University of California Berkeley Business Brigade December 2011 10
Richard Ivey School of Business Business Brigade February 2012 31 University of Washington Business Brigade March 2012 8
DePaul University Business Brigade March 2012 20 Boston University Brigade & University of Washington Business Brigade January 2013 12
College of Charleston Business Brigade & Northeastern University Business Brigade March 2013 30 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Business Brigade March 2013 N/A
Brandeis University Business Brigade Febuary 2014 17 University of California Riverside Business Brigade June 2014 10

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

PAJARILLOS’ PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE

Many community members in Pajarillos lack the resources to make improvements to their household infrastructure. The majority of homes in Pajarillos are made of adobe. There are approximately 180 homes in Pajarillos, with an average of three to four people living in each. Prior to their partnership with Global Brigades, most homes had latrines. However, many needed improvements. Additionally, most homes didn’t have any additional home infrastructure like eco-stoves, showers, or water storage units. 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, concrete floors reduce the incidence of parasitic infections and Chagas disease, 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, Pajarillos’ inhabitants were hoping to avoid preventable diseases and adopt proper hygiene and sanitation practices.

*Brigade Volunteers only represent the volunteers who came on Public Health brigades when Pajarillos was being completed. However, there were many Medical brigade volunteers who also participated in a day of public health construction in Pajarillos.

63

Volunteers*

35

Sanitation Units Installed

286

People Benefitted with Public Health Infrastructure

N/A

Hours of Public Health Education

PAJARILLOS’ PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTION

Pajarillos was one of the first Global Brigades partner communities to receive Public Health products focused on improving preventative health infrastructure. These household porjects included latrines, hygiene stations, eco-stoves, and concrete floors. These projects allow community members to avoid preventable disease and foster improved hygiene and sanitation practices. During their time in Pajarillos, Public Health volunteers conducted educational workshops, or charlas, with community members on project maintenance and various public health topics. Additionally, Global Brigades trained a Basic Sanitation Committee, which advocates for proper hygiene and sanitation practices in addition to providing support for completed projects.

Local Reference Points

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

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