Natural Water Filters — Bluefields

Project Summary

The families of the city of Bluefields do not have access to the resources they need to lead healthy, productive lives. Bluefields' location along Nicaragua's impoverished Atlantic Coast has left its residents struggling with their city's isolation and limited basic infrastructure. Bluefields does not have any water or sanitation system. Most families access their drinking, cooking, and cleaning water from wells that are subject to runoff and bacterial infestations.

A year ago, blueEnergy initiated a clean water project by installing 25 bio-sand water filters in the city and holding training workshops to promote awareness of the importance of clean water and sanitation. Bio-sand water filters are sturdy, concrete filters, filled with sand and rocks in such a way that a natural bacteria layer forms in the sand and purifies water as it passes through the filter.

This project will ensure 50 families receive bio-sand water filters for their homes, thereby giving them access to clean drinking water for the first time. In addition to funding 50 bio-sand water filters, this project will allow select direct beneficiaries to be trained as community health promoters. Once properly informed, these community promoters will spread the project's impact by educating new households in the benefits of clean water and how to operate a bio-sand filter.

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What?

i. 50 families will receive a bio-sand water filter. Each filter will provide safe drinking water for an entire household and requires no ongoing operating expenses.
ii. Each family will participate in a training campaign to increase awareness about health and sanitation, with further training available for individuals who become health promoters. The training covers the basics of water safety, bacteria infection, and sanitation issues, such as the importance of washing your hands. The training is vital for making sure the purified water has the maximum impact in improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries.
iii. blueEnergy will follow up on the use of the filters once they are installed to ensure that they are functioning properly. While the filters are easy to use and involve no ongoing operating costs, they do require regular use and periodic maintenance. blueEnergy will work with the beneficiaries after the installation of the filters to ensure they understand how to maintain the filters to maximize the positive health impact over time.
iv. For the 6-month duration of the project, 1 water technician will be selected to monitor the bio-sand water filters and assist in ensuring their proper installation and function.

Why?

Although the community of Bluefields is significant in terms of its size, the city still lacks critical basic services, especially a clean water system. In Bluefields, the contamination of the soil is more severe than in small communities, and the absence of a water distribution system— combined with a low average income— forces most people to resort to using unsafe water from a well. Each of Bluefield's districts has a varying water quality, but overall, many people suffer from chronic diarrhea and bacterial infections, in particular the babies who are very sensitive to the water quality and especially vulnerable to infections. In addition by providing a clean water source within the household and negating the necessity of purchasing it, this project will reduce family expenses and allow each water filter recipient to save approximately $60 per month, and $720 per year.

How?

i. blueEnergy will build new molds to increase its production capacity and develop the 50 water filters
ii. 50 families will be chosen with the Municipality and Ministry of Health, based on the information they have on water quality in the different districts of Bluefields.
iii. blueEnergy will visit these 50 families and begin an intensive campaign on water and sanitation that will lead to the training of health promoters
iv. The 50 families will receive their bio-sand water filters
v. blueEnergy will visit them regularly in order to follow up on the use of the filters, and on the work of the health promoters in their neighborhoods.

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Bluefields is the capital of Nicaragua's RAAS region situated on the Caribbean Coast. It is a multi-ethnic city of 35,000 people where extreme poverty is rampant as a result of an 80% unemployment rate. In the past, civil war and hurricanes have compounded difficult conditions in Bluefields and left its residents with few options for providing for their families.

Development in Bluefields is severely limited by the city's lack of basic infrastructure. There are no roads leading in or out of Bluefields and as a result, the city remains isolated from Nicaragua's more affluent and industrialized Pacific Coast. Since 1994, Bluefields has been supplied with electricity, but it still lacks any municipal water or sanitation system. The city's families are forced to collect water from from rooftops and wells. These measures, however, expose them to contaminated water and its associated health risks.

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History of Bluefields

Bluefields is the only city in the RAAS state of Nicaragua. It was originally populated by Kriols who primarily relied on fishing and forestry to earn their incomes. Mestizos from the Pacific coast slowly made their way to the Atlantic Coast, where they have settled to farm. Today, extensive exploitation by foreign companies has destroyed these original pursuits and depleted the area's natural resources. Few businesses have survived these changes and today, Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast has the highest poverty rate in the entire country.

Bluefields, and the RAAS region were active conflict zones during Nicaragua's civil war (Contra War) during the 1980s and the region was further decimated by Hurricane Joan in 1988, which destroyed an estimated 90% of Bluefields. These challenges, both natural and political, have prevented Bluefields from developing the infrastructure it requires to improve its residents' quality of life. The city lacks any kind of water distribution system, and the quality of water that residents use to drink, wash, and cook is very poor, leading to preventable health problems and a high infant mortality rate.

Average household income

150

Climate

Bluefields is located in the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, a tropical region that is regularly devastated by hurricanes. In 1988, the city was completely destroyed by Hurricane Joan.

Challenges facing Bluefields

Bluefields lacks the infrastructure to connect to Nicaragua's Pacific Coast where most of the country’s industry is located. There are no roads that link Bluefields to the Pacific Coast. It is accessible only by small plane or boat.

Another major issue facing Bluefields is the city's poor quality of water. Bluefields has no sewage or clean water system and without these systems, residents are threatened by high incidence of preventable diseases and bacterial infections.

Main Occupations

Fishing, small businesses (80% unemployment)

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Meet your partner community, and read their messages and profiles.

Maria Sandoval Abella

Maria Sandoval Abella is employed by the Regional Government of the RAAS. She is married and has 3 boys and a newborn girl together with her husband who works for the Mayor’s office. Their house was built by an international aid organization after hurricane Joan struck in 1988. They live a very communal lifestyle due to the house’s location; living next to Maria in three identical structures are various relatives, from sisters, brothers, and parents, to cousins and their respective children. The four houses all share food, water and daily chores. Similar to most households in Bluefields, Maria’s family is matriarchal in nature and women typically handle distribution of water and food.

Direct Impact of Your Project

• Provides safe drinking water to 300 people
• Dramatically reduces 50 families' exposure to water-borne diseases and improves their overall health
• Empowers 50 people, primarily women, to become educated and active members of their community as health promoters
• Provides 1 local water technical full-time employment for 6 months

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

• Raises awareness among an additional 50 families on the importance of health and sanitation through the work of trained health promoters
• Introduces a new water purification technology to a broad audience in the city of Bluefields, creating an opportunity to improve clean water access throughout the city
• Supports a family of 6 with the salary earned by the project's water technician