A Healthy Home For Our Health Provider

End Date: May 30, 2013 12:00 AM

Can you imagine raising two children on your own in a home without a roof? What about having a floor made of dirt that is constantly being kicked up, entering your children’s lung? Not having a water source? A barely functioning stove that emits toxins? And now, imagine being an educated health promoter, knowing all the damage this is doing to you and your children and not being able to doing anything about it.

In 2009, our Community Health Workers program began working in the community of Zarzal. One of the dedicated volunteers that was chosen was Brenda, a single mother of now 9 year old, Cecy and 5 year old, Cecia. Our team was immediately impressed with Brenda’s dedication to her community and the attentiveness she showed at each training. Even if she had to bring her children to the meeting, she was always present.

Brenda has had many unfortunate situations in her life, and while she is extremely educated (she has an equivalent to an associate’s degree, something rare in a rural Honduran community), had ended up basically homeless. However, being the resilient person she is, Brenda found a way to construct a “house” built of scraps she found around her community of La Cofradia. When GB staff visited this home, they found a structure constructed of wooden pegs, tarps, and garbage bags. However, the most incredible part of her story, is throughout all this hardship, she still remained dedicated to the Guardianes.

Recently Brenda was able to save up enough to purchase materials to construct an actual home. Unfortunately, what she was able to purchase was minimal and of extremely poor quality, and when University of Victoria visited her home, what they found was absolutely heartbreaking.

As you can see from the pictures, Brenda’s house needs a lot of work, but nothing we can’t accomplish with your help! Our Architecture program plans to install a sturdy roof as well as test the quality of the walls and potentially provide a covering. Our Public Health program will install an eco-stove, concrete floors, a latrine, a pila, and a shower. And our Water program will work with the community’s water committee to get a water connection to the house.

As a promoter of health in her community, Brenda should be able to have a home that supports good health for her and her family. However, Brenda cannot make this happen without your help. We are estimating that the project will cost about $2,500. A small cost for changing the life of a selfless woman and her two children.

Here is the estimated breakdown of the project (USD):
Public Health (eco-stove, floor, latrine, pila, shower): $1,000
Architecture (roof, wall quality and covering): $1,000
Water (water connection): $500
= $2,500

Please contribute whatever you can! And please contact Courtney Ferreira, courtney@globalbrigades.org if you have any questions!