Las Marias, Cabañas

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

Overview

Las Marias is located within the municipality of Cabañas in the department of La Paz in southern Honduras. The typical house is made of adobe and cement blocks and bricks. Children in the community have access to primary and middle school. The community members of Las Marias mostly work in agriculture and animal raising. The community doesn’t have a water system to provide drinking water to the community members but is closely working with Global Brigades to build and improve this area of the community. The top needs expressed by Las Maria‘s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades are building a water system and a health centre.

Municipality: Cabañas
Department: La Paz

Homes : 76
Population : 313
Water System : Not Started
Community Bank : Not Started
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 100%
Education : Primary and middle school
Distance from Lodging Facility : 25 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.

Las Marias doesn’t have a community health care centre in their community adequately staffed nor do they have access to a stock of medications. They have to attend the health centre in a nearby community. The most common illnesses children face are the common cold and stomach flu. The most common illnesses seen in adults are hypertension and diabetes.

N/A

Brigade Volunteers

N/A

Patient Consulations

N/A

PAP Smears Performed

N/A

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of Las Marias 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. Las Marias will receive training as soon as possible to further support the health of its community members.

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 centres, Global Brigades can 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. At the completion of 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.

N/A

Patient Consultations

N/A

Fluoride Treatments

N/A

Fillings Performed

N/A

Dental Education Workshop

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

LAS MARIA’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE:

Currently, the community of Las Marias, Cabañas doesn’t have a water system. The community members have a water storage unit also known as “pila” where they collect and store rainwater when they can. The community also has a well but community members have to pay a fee to acquire water from it.

15

Volunteers

538

Beneficiaries

9.25

Kilometers of pipeline designed

LAS MARIAS’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

Las Marias’s water system design was completed in April 2024. The optimal solution to provide this community access to water was to design and construct a water system that contains a water storage tank of 10,000 gallons and install approximately 10 kilometres of adequate piping. This will ensure the correct water distribution and coverage across the community.

Water System : None
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : 79%
Water Council : Yes

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN LAS MARIAS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Dalhousie University April 2024 15

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Marias 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 : None
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : 79%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Marias 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 and cattle raising
Existing Microenterprises : Convenience stores

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Marias and in the planning phase the program is surveying houses in the community to gather data. After this planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of household health infrastructure products will start as soon as feasible.

Homes with Latrines : 100%
Homes with Eco-Stoves : 0%
Homes with Concrete Floors : 72%
Common House Materials : Cement blocks and bricks

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN LAS MARIAS

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature