ETTA PROJECTS

Health: The Health Promoters (HP) program is a two year, comprehensive health and leadership program training local villagers, predominantly women (95%), to become certified HPs for their village. To date we have trained 130 Health Promoters who are now working in 25 communities (1080 people) helping to improve health and become vocal advocates for the overall health of their community. The program is two years long to allow for the real shift as women become community leaders. What makes this program innovative is that it builds upon an accepted societal role and expands upon it gradually, engaging and involving the community in decision-making, from the very inception of the effort. Communities contact us requesting this program and then are involved in choosing candidates who participate. Culture change occurs over time as program participants gain skills and demonstrate effectiveness in their village. These women become role models and leaders in their communities, modeling behavior change, reinforcing hygiene and sanitation practices and becoming valued consultants on health. Program goals: Perform life saving measures, suture wounds, preside as mid-wives during births, administer a first aid kit with medicines including antibiotics and be the conduit for the health center by promoting health and sexual and reproductive rights, lead other women and their village toward improved health.

Water: The water program involves the construction of distribution systems specifically designed to meet the expressed needs of the village. Families are responsible for assisting in the manual labor and financially contribute to the cost of materials necessary for their own domestic connection while water committees are created by local elections and members are trained and educated on the maintenance of the system as well as a system for collecting fees to allow for parts replacement. Since the beginning of this program in 2009 we have installed 31 water systems, bringing clean running water to more than 4,500 rural villagers. Program goals: Empower rural communities to be responsible for management of their own water supply systems, and include them in the construction, create financially sustainable systems, where consumers pay for usage on a monthly basis, improve overall water systems maintenance, monitoring and repair with metering or system infrastructure.

Sanitation: Etta Projects has worked with 435 families and 19 communities to build ecocomposting latrines since this program began in 2009. The ecological composting latrine is built above ground and does not require permanent plumbing or water. The bathroom is built on a double vault system, with one chamber in use at any given time. A toilet seat with two holes allows for separation of urine from fecal matter. Fecal matter enters the disposal chamber where it is contained and decomposes; urine is captured separately. When this chamber is full, the toilet seat is moved to the second chamber and fecal matter in the first chamber begins the composting process. After each use of the latrine, dry material (ash, lime, or dirt) is added to prevent odor, repel bugs, and start decomposition. Toilet paper can be thrown into the latrine and will not disrupt decomposition. The process of alternating its usage and excavating compost must be maintained for the toilet to function properly. As a result, communities and families have healthier lives. We initiated the construction of a new latrine system including a shower, hand-washing station and grey-water system. Program goals: Reduce incidence of water-related infections, illness and/or death from intestinal parasites, diarrhea, and scabies. Maintain healthy water systems. Create behavior change by strengthening skills of community leaders, sanitation promoters and health promoters and giving them the lead in educating their community to improve community hygiene habits. Provide private and safe sanitation facilities for women and girls.

The Community Transformation Center (CTC), located just outside of the town of Buena Vista, Bolivia, is a creative and dynamic space for exchanging ideas and practices to transform leaders into agents of positive change in their families, communities, and as part of a global community. Healthy communities evolve from empowered leaders with innovative ideas, tools, and strategies to improve existing conditions. The CTC provides the space, resources, training, and inspiration in key thematic areas: Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) and Health. Community leaders, local and international NGO’s, public health organizations, universities, and global volunteers, connect across diverse backgrounds to share and learn together, addressing common challenges and to seek sustainable solutions.