In order to reduce pollution caused by the water that will be used in cooking, washing and bathing once the potable water system in Paxorotot is completed, gray water filters have been installed to prevent dirty water from running into the community’s streets and the homes of its residents.
Waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea have a particularly strong impact on those suffering from malnutrition and can even result in death. Unsanitary living conditions contribute to an increased risk of contracting illnesses that can exacerbate the effects of malnutrition. For these reasons we promote the importance of handwashing, minimizing health risks in the home and participate in the installation of water and sanitation infrastructure.
We partner with communities and municipal governments to design and implement water and sanitation solutions based on what each community wants and tailored to the environmental context of each location. Each water and environmental sanitation project consists of physical aspects such as building systems that give community members access to potable water either in their homes or at key locations in the community and installing gray water filters, ecological latrines and improved cook stoves that ventilate smoke outside the home. In addition to these elements, communities develop measures to adequately dispose of solid waste and create a health education plan to help families become familiar with and adopt appropriate hygienic practices.
