Quebrada Grande N. 2

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

Overview

The community of Quebrada Grande N. 2 is found in the municipality of Moroceli, El Paraiso. An-hour-and-a-half drive separates Quebrada Grande from Tegucigalpa.People in Quebrada Grande N. 2 are primarily workers and employees. Global Brigades is currently working on implementing the Holistic Model implementation in Quebrada Grande N. 2 as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Honduras.

During initial communications with community leaders, Global Brigades learned that the top 3 needs in the community are the construction of a water tank and a water system expansion, the construction of a kindergarten, and medical assistance.

Municipality: Moroceli

Department: El Paraiso

Homes : 65
Population : 280
Water System : No
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 80%
Education : Up to 6th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 15 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.

Quebrada Grande N. 2 has a health center in the nearby community of El Campo where community members can access health care.

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

Quebrada Grande N. 2 has access to a total of 2 Community Health Workers (CHWs). These CHWs were trained in the community of Grandailla (pictured here). 

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

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Francisco de Soroguara but has not yet begun with the Dental Brigades program.  Now in the planning phase, mobile dental clinics will start as soon as feasible.

Distance to Nearest Health Center : 8 kms
Community Health Workers : 2
Common Illnesses in Children : Flu, diarrhea, chikungunya
Common Illnesses in Adults : Hypertension, Diabetes

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

QUEBRADA GRANDE N. 2’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE:

Community Leaders in Quebrada Grande #2 discuss the water system and potential improvements on the Engineering Brigade with University of Victoria.

This community has an existing water project that has been running since 1995. The renovation and the expansion of its water system coverage are important for the 108 houses that make up Quebrada Grande.

At the end of 2019, Global Brigades received a request from Quebrada Grande. A couple of weeks later the local GB Engineering staff arrived at Quebrada Grande to participate in a meeting with the water council and community leaders. By February 2020, an Engineering Brigade was carried out along with volunteers from the University of Victoria. A completed design and budget were successfully completed and delivered to the community.

9

Volunteers

424

Beneficiaries

10

Kilometer of pipeline designed

8

Average community volunteers

QUEBRADA GRANDE N. 2’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

Water pressure gauge in Quebrada Grande #2

The community of Quebrada Grande’s water system was carefully evaluated by GB local Engineering staff. After the initial assessment, it was clear that the main challenges for this community are their dependence on other communities’ water sources (such as Guanacaste), the size and location of their current water tank, and also the pipe sizes and coverage of their distribution network.

Unfortunately, at this point, Quebrada Grande does not have its own water source. They are dependent on Guanacaste’s water system. This means that they are restricted to the amount supplied by the Guanacaste’s water authorities. During the summer, Quebrada Grande receives between 6-7 GPM. During the brigade, 10GPM were entering into the tank. The conduction line is one-inch in diameter and does not have air valves, something that may be diminishing the pipe’s working capacity.

Besides lacking an independent water source, Quebrada Grande’s water system also faces storage issues. The tank, for example, is only 5,000 gallons in capacity, representing one-third of the daily storage demand, according to national design standards. The tank location is also a disadvantage. The population has grown and more houses have been built in the last few years. Many houses, however, are now located at high elevations, even higher than the tank, making it impossible to be supplied by gravity. 

Finally, the distribution network also shows performance issues. Coverage is less than 80% and the service is not very efficient. Some houses receive water only for a couple of hours every 3-4 days and at a very low rate. Pipe size needs to be increased in order to ensure good quality service, and the network needs to be expanded to ensure 100% coverage.

QUEBRADA GRANDE N. 2’S WATER SYSTEM SOLUTION:

The Water and Engineering team reviews the water plans with the community leaders in Quebrada Grande.

The community’s water council has the task of finding a new water source that fulfills all minimum requirements, in terms of water quality and quantity, accessible and economic location. This water source may be superficial, but the drilling of a well within the community could be an alternative, too.

During the Engineering Brigade, a very good spot for a new tank was identified. It has enough space for a fifteen-thousand-gallon tank to be built and has enough elevation for all the houses to be supplied. A new water network was designed with 2 different sectors, ensuring that all the houses are supplied with enough water, at very good velocity and pressure standards. Water meters will also be installed in order to ensure a fair water fee for everyone while avoiding the overuse of water in the community.

The legalization and training of the water council are also part of the integrated empowerment of the community. A basic sanitation committee and watershed protection committee will be created. WASH education and training is just as important as the construction of new infrastructure.

The community of Quebrada Grande N. 2 is intended to be supported using a new financial approach from Global Brigades, in which the initial investment is represented by a low-interest loan, which will be returned through the payment of the community to guarantee sustainability.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN QUEBRADA GRANDE N. 2

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Victoria Engineering Brigade February 2020 9

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Francisco de Soroguara but has not yet begun with the Water Brigades program.  Now in the planning phase, the construction of a water system will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Needs Repairs
Type of Water System : Gravity
% of homes with access to Water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Quebrada Grande N. 2 but has not yet begun with the Business Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, a market study and the establishment of a community bank will start as soon as feasible.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Workers and employees
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Quebrada Grande. Through the application of the methodology for healthy schools and households (Escasal). Global Brigades alongside volunteers have developed a community action plan for Quebrada Grande. This action plan will serve as a base to develop public health projects that will improve the community’s well-being.

% of Homes with Latrines : 80%
% of Homes with Eco-stoves : 20%
% of Homes with Water Filters : 0%
Common House Materials : N/A

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN QUEBRADA GRANDE N. 2

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Western University of Health Sciences TeleBrigade September 2020 15

Local Reference Points

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

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