Fetching water from a natural well in El Salvador. The water requires treatment to remove bacteria and parasites before it can be safely drunk. Photo: M. Gregory.
One of the most rewarding efforts I helped organize during my time in the Peace Corps in El Salvador involved working with the local Health Committee to implement a household water treatment project. Through initial needs assessments, villagers identified contaminated water – and the resulting chronic gastrointestinal illness – as a pressing problem and barrier to community development. After researching options for water treatment systems, the Health Committee presented them at an all-community meeting. The village voted to pursue a project to install bio-sand filters in each home due to their proven effectiveness in rural communities, flexibility in purifying water from various sources at the household level, ease of maintenance, and long life of the filters. Villagers also agreed to participate in a community-wide effort to improve hygiene and sanitation practices.
As part of our efforts, I adapted and expanded on educational materials prepared by a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras to guide the Health Committee’s crucial work conducting community hygiene education, installing the bio-sand filters, and providing ongoing education and support to families in using the filters and making positive changes in household sanitation practices. I was later invited to share these materials, and our holistic approach to household water treatment projects, at workshop for community health workers coordinated by the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology.
A bio-sand filter is an effective technology for household water treatment.
- Community Education Program in Hygiene and Use of the Bio-Sand Filter (in Spanish) – A five-session curriculum for adults and youth addressing the role of water and sanitation in community health with engaging activities. Topics include: understanding sources of water contamination, protecting water resources, household hygiene and sanitation practices, proper use of bio-sand filters, and follow-up medical care to eliminate existing parasites.
- Community Educators’ Manual: Monitoring Bio-Sand Filter Projects (in Spanish) – A manual for health committees leading bio-sand filters projects in their communities. The manual includes information about community education in hygiene and sanitation, installing bio-and filters, educating families about their proper use, and conducting follow-up monitoring and support visits.
Health Committee members educate the community about household hygiene and sanitation practices, and proper use of the bio-sand filter.
To this day, I am incredibly proud of the Health Committee for their whole-hearted contribution to the well-being of the community through this project, and for their growth in knowledge, skills, confidence, and leadership. The model of engaging educator partners from within a community – and supporting them with educational materials tailored for their community, professional development opportunities, and financial support – continues to inform my approach to community education and development.
The Health Committee of my village in El Salvador.
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