RURAL POTABLE WATER AND LATRINE CONSTRUCTION

AID AND CARE ASSIST 21 RURAL COMMUNITIES IMPROVE SANITATION BY DEVELOPING & INSTALLING POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS AND FAMILY LATRINES. GRANTEE"S PERIODIC REPORT AND USAID FILES WERE EXAMINED,AND INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED. PROJECT FOR THE MOST PART CAN BE CONSIDERED A SUCCESS. HOWEVER,INPUTS IN THE FORM OF MATERIALS,TRAINED PERSONNEL,COMMUNITY LABOR,AND FINANCING HAVE BEEN REASONABLY SATISFACTORY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DELAYED CONTRIBUTIONS FRON THE GOVT OF GUATEMELA (GOG). COMMUNITY INVOVLEMENT AND COMMITMENT IN PLANNING,CONSTRUCTION,MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS AND LATRINES HAS LEAD COMMUNITIES SURVEYED TO UDERTAKE OTHER SELF-HELP PROJ ECTS. RURAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN (TSR)"S WERE DEDICATED IN PLANNING AND INSTALLING WATER SYSTEMS. WOMEN ESPECIALLY BENEIF SINCE THEY NO LONGER MUST CARRY WATER LONG DISTANCES AND HAVE MORE TIME TO DEVOTE TO THEOR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND EMPLOYMENT UNFORTUNATELY,COMMUNITIES ARE NOT BENEFITING TO THE EXTENT THEY SHOULD FROM THIS PROJECT. SYSTEMS INSTALLED HAVE NEVER BEEN REVISITED BY THE TSR"S. MANY FAUCETS LEAK,CREATING MUDDY,UNSANITARY CONDITIONS. FAILURE TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY PILAS FOR WASHING CLOTHS ALSO CREATES UNSANITARY SITUA TIONS SINCE WOMEN MUST EITHER WASH IN TUBS NEAR THEIR HOME WITH NO DRAINAGE OR WALK LONG DISTANCES TO TRADITIONAL BUT CONTAMINATED WATER SOURCES. INDICATIONS ARE THAT ONCE US AID CEASES,PROGRAM WILL DETERIORATE SINCE THE GOG WILL APPOINT LESS-QUALIFIELD PERSONNEL AND NOT MAINTAIN PRESENT WAGE LEVELSFORCING LOCAL EXPERTS TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. THE WEAKEST PART OF THE PROGRAM,HOWEVER,HAS BEEN A DEFICIENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. COMMUNITY MEMEBERS NEED TO BE MORE EXTENSIVELYTAUGHT THE BENEFITS OF USING LATRINES. MOST GUATEMELANS PREFER DEFECATING IN FIELD BELIEVING THIS BENEFITS CROPS. UNTIL PROPER SANATATION IS UNDERSTOOD,THE USE OF LATRINES WILL CONTINUALLY MEET WITH RESISTANCE.