El Caragual

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

Overview

El Caragual is located within the municipality of Nacaome in the department of Valle in Southern Honduras. The typical house is made of adobe and mud. Children in the community have access up to 6th grade. El Caragual has no water system in existence. Most of the community members work in agriculture. The top needs expressed by El Caragual‘s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades are a water system, public health projects, and access to health care.

Municipality: Nacaome
Department: Valle

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.

Community members in El Caragual have access to the CESAR located in their community. Although the CESAMO has a medical staff that provides consultation, it usually lacks medication and access to a lab and pharmacy. During initial communications with Global Brigades, community leaders in El Pedregal reported that the most common illnesses seen in kids are flu, cough, and fever and in adults are diabetes and diarrhea.

88

Patient Consultations

22

Vision screenings provided

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of El Caragual does not yet have Community Health Workers. Global Brigades Honduras’ Medical Program is working diligently to train volunteers as CHWs in its partner communities as part of the Holistic Model. El Caragual will receive training as soon as possible to support the health of its community members further

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 is identified by other organizations and some health centres, 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 emergencies. They are also responsible for following up with chronic patients to ensure the proper administration of medications and treatments to avoid further complications. Additionally, CHWs provide support for brigades that are hosted in their area. After 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

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.

27

Dental consultations

20

Number of extractions

4

Fillings performed

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CARAGUAL’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE:

El Caragual does not have an existing water system, only a common well. Community members face many difficulties accessing water, both for drinking and for either cleaning or washing. Global Brigades completed the water system design in June 2021 and will begin the construction as soon as possible.

8

Volunteers

3648

Meters of piping measured

10000

Capacity of water storage tanked designed

187

Est. population served by water system

EL CARAGUAL’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

The optimal solution to provide this community access to water would be to design and construct a water system that contains a water storage tank of 10,000 gallons and install adequate piping. This will ensure the correct water distribution and coverage across the community.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN EL CARAGUAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Central Florida Engineering TeleBrigade June 2021 8

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Caragual but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the Water Program will begin implementing a new water system or any necessary repairs to existing infrastructure following the Engineering Program’s evaluation and recommendations.

Water System : Not Started
Number of Wells : 6
Homes conected to a water system : 0
Number of Members in Water Committee : 7

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Caragual but has not yet begun with the Business Program. Now in the planning phase, a community bank will be established as soon as feasible.

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL CARAGUAL’S PUBLIC HEALTH  CHALLENGE:

Many community members in Caragual lack the resources to make improvements to their household infrastructure. The majority of homes in Caragual are made of adobe. 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, 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, El Caragual‘s inhabitants are hoping to avoid preventable diseases and adopt proper hygiene and sanitation practices.

38

Volunteers

38

Sanitation Units Installed

155

People Benefitted with PH Infrastructure

Homes with latrines : 21%
Homes with eco-stoves : 0
Homes with water filters : 0

EL CARAGUAL’S PUBLIC HEALTH  SOLUTION

Public Health Brigaders from different universities and the Public Health Brigades in-country team worked in El Caragual. During this time, volunteers and staff members worked alongside the community to identify community leaders and train them to form the Basic Sanitation Committee, increase cultural sensitivity and awareness by working side-by-side with qualified masons and project beneficiaries, conduct educational workshops emphasizing the importance of sanitation and hygiene in the local primary school, install water filters, and build eco-stoves, latrines, and water storage unit.

The latrine and water filter projects were funded entirely by the community while Global Brigades partnered with the community to subsidize the remainder of the projects with El Caragual’s newly established community bank. The community bank provided access for families to take out loans for future home infrastructure projects, allowing community members to invest in the health of their own families without Global Brigades’ involvement. To ensure the sustainability of the projects constructed, the Public Health Program provides continuous follow-up in the community.

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN EL CARAGUAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Liberty High School October 2021 12 Mayfield Senior School October 2021 14
Eli Lilly October 2021 12

Legal Empowerment

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Caragual but has not yet begun with the Legal Empowerment Program. Now in the planning phase, our team will visit the community as soon as feasible to identify potential cases.

Local Reference Points

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

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