Living for 30 years without water

The sound of the water is heard as if it were a mighty spring.  Drinking water ready to be drunk by adults and children comes from the faucet of Reina’s house.  The mother of five children is happy because “with eyes closed” she can drink and quench her children’s thirst, all thanks to the introduction of drinking water that reaches her house as result of a joint project by World Vision, the city hall, and the community.   

Reina lives in La Caridad, a community that throughout its history received water from a well located 1 km away and from a river located 5 km away (3 hours distance). In the dry season these gave just one jug of water a day for each family.  

“To live 30 years of my life without water has been difficult.  I lacked water until 2011 [when] drinking water was introduced. Taking a bath was even a problem because we were much rationed.  We got up 2 o´clock in the morning to go to the well to be the first ones to fill our water jugs or else we walked to the river carrying our dirty clothes and water jugs.  We bathed in the river, but due to the walking we sweated, we got all dirty with dust and come back home dirtier then before leaving home,” says Reina, who is 33 years old.         

Water collection took too much time

Men, women, and children joined in caravans to go up to Paso Hondo River.  The ones that had oxen to carry the water had better luck, but most of them carry the water themselves, causing damage to their neck, back and hips.  

In fact, fetching water takes so much time that it prevents women from performing their other  work: to protect the family’s health, and to care for the children and the crops.  “The water we drank was contaminated.  It is sad to see that children get sick for drinking bad quality water.  They now live in paradise because they have good, pure, and healthy water,” affirms the happy mother.           

The Board of Directors of La Roca Water System Administrator Association is made up of twelve members.  German Cedillos and Rigoberto Ramirez are a fundamental part of this organization.  

Members of the Water Board review the system. 

“In 2003, this Project was planted on faith.  The city hall provided the services of a digging company to find water and to plant the well for pumping, but it did not find the water source.  The community insisted on faith that there was water in that place and continued digging and that is how they finally found the necessary amount of water,” says German. There are 935 inhabitants in La Caridad Community in Usulután; with more than 700 of them under 18.            

The water system was constructed by the municipal city hall with funds from the central government in 2003, supplying 98 families at the beginning with water.  Most of these people were from La Caridad Community, including families from Huiligüiste Hamlet and El Jicaro Community.   

In 2011, World Vision El Salvador strengthened the water system with the construction of a 100 cubic metre tank, an air tank with its tower and an office.  It also carried out trainings through La Bendicion Program to the Board of Directors, and helped with obtaining legal status for the Administrator Association and strengthening processes of the community organization.  At present, about 186 families are receiving water in their houses.           

“We have always trusted World Vision.  We achieved that it helped us to benefit more families with the vital liquid.  We always have water whether there is electricity or not with the construction of the tank.  We have also been trained on projects’ management, community organization, and water system self-sustainability.  They inspired passion and dream for the Community in us,” says Rigoberto.             

“Having plenty of water will make it easier for us to have home-vegetable gardens."

Water facilitates domestic and agricultural work.  The families are enthusiastic to establish home-vegetable gardens with green peppers and tomatoes.  “Having plenty of water will make it easier for us to have home-vegetable gardens.  The houses are very pretty because women have sown plants and flowers that decorate entrances,” says Rigoberto, who also says that the minimum quota of the partners to receive the monthly service is US $6.75.   

Lack of water and poverty are interrelated in a direct way and affect mainly the poorest and most vulnerable communities.  In 2050, the lack of water will affect 7,000 million people warns the United Nations.  According to the World Health Organization, water scarcity affects four out of every ten people in the world.   

Before this reality, there is a group of men and women that are fighting to provide water of good quality to the next generations.  And they are also teaching their sons and daughters to take care of the liquid and to get involved in activities to preserve water sources.   La Caridad is a model of organization for the surrounding communities.  “Our water is of such good quality that there are people from other communities that when they pass through here, they take water to their houses,” say the proud watchmen of the water source.       

La Bendicion Program has given support with the construction of three water systems in Las Ventas, La Caridad, and about to be finished in Concepcion Community.  It will benefit about 2,500 people.