La Zarzalosa

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

Overview

La Zarzalosa is located in central Honduras, and is about 7 kilometers from Talanga, where community members have access to the health center. People in La Zarzalosa are primarily dedicated to cattle raising, coffee growing, and day labor.  Global Brigades is currently working with Public Health Brigades in La Zarzalosa, and implementation of other programs as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Honduras has just begun.

Municipality: Talanga

Department: Francisco Morazan

Homes : 75
Population : 375
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 77%
Education : Up to 6th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 62 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.

La Zarzalosa does not have a health center, but members of the community travel to a nearby community, Talanga, to get health care. There, the health center is a CESAMO, a larger scale health center where doctors and occasionally dentists are on staff. The most common illnesses are diabetes, arterial hypertension, respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and fever.

*Statistics are from the community of Las Casillas, where community members from La Zarzalosa attend medical and dental brigades.

349

Volunteers*

5,139

Patient Consultations*

324

Vision Screenings Provided*

104

Health Education Workshops*

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

La Zarzalosa has currently does not have Community Health Workers (CHWs). Global Brigades is working to train more as soon as feasible.

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 emergencies. 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.

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.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in La Zarzalosa attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in Las Casilllas’ school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. On average, each brigade facilitates 7 educational charlas with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 510

NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Valle Arriba, La Orqueta, 10 de Septiembre, Palmira, Rio Dulce

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE  ACCESS

In 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 dentist within a reasonable distance.

*Statistics are from the community of Las Casillas, were community members from La Zarzalosa attend medical and dental brigades.

598

Patient Consultations*

578

Number of Extractions*

356

Fillings Performed*

100

Dental Education Workshops*

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in La Zarzalosa attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in Las Casilllas’ school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s classrooms. Doctors can spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. On average, each brigade facilitates 7 educational charlas with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 510

NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Valle Arriba, La Orqueta, 10 de Septiembre, Palmira, Rio Dulce

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LA ZARZALOSA’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

When Global Brigades arrived in La Zarzalosa, community members had a surface water system with a pump. This system was created in 1980 and was not able to keep up with the community’s needs. The system is obsolete, the water barely reaches the tank and can deliver 5 gallons of water to some of the community houses. This amount of water is not sufficient for the communities needs and many community members are not connected to the water system. The time and energy that was necessary to retrieve water by families not connected to the system caused families to sacrifice important hygiene and sanitation practices that would require more water.

24

Volunteers

355

Beneficiaries

15.8

Kilometers of Pipeline Designed

20

Average Community Volunteers

LA ZARZALOSA’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION

Follow an engineering assessment and the work of our engineering program. This design tailored for the community of La Zarzalosa will be able to provide clean reliable water to the entire community and meet their current and future water needs. The water system will be a surface water system with a pump, that will have a 10,000-gallon tank and be able to distribute water through 9 km of water.

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN LA ZARZALOSA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Purdue University & East Carolina University December 2018 12

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LA ZARZALOSA’S WATER CHALLENGE

When Global Brigades arrived in La Zarzalosa, community members had a surface water system with a pump. This system was created in 1980 and is not able to keep up with the community’s needs. The system is obsolete, the water barely reaches the water tank and is only able to deliver 5 gallons of water to some of the community. This amount of water is not sufficient for the communities needs and many community members are not connected to the water system. The time and energy that was necessary to retrieve water by families not connected to the system caused families to sacrifice important hygiene and sanitation practices that would require more water. Construction of the community’s new water system will begin as soon as feasible. 

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Surface Water with Pump
Homes with Access to Water : 78%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LA ZARZALOSA’S ECONOMIC  CHALLENGE:

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

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Agriculture, Cattle raising
Existing Microenterprises : Corner Stores

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LA ZARZALOSA’S PUBLIC HEALTH  CHALLENGE:

Many community members in La Zarzalosa lack the resources to make improvements to their household infrastructure. The majority of homes in La Zarzalosa are made of adobe. There are approximately 75 homes in La Zarzalosa, with approximately 375 people living in the community. 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, La Zarzalosa‘s inhabitants are hoping to avoid preventable diseases and adopt proper hygiene and sanitation practices.

71

Volunteers

15

Sanitation Units Installed

52

People Benefited with Public Health Infrastructure

2

Hours of Public Health Education

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN LA ZARZALOSA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Brandeis University Medical Brigade February 2017 22 Georgetown University Public Health Brigade March 2017 27
University of Central Florida December 2020 8 Clayton High School April 2024 14

Local Reference Points

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

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