Mrs. Rosibel Martínez

PROJECT STATS Location: Salgado, Nicaragua Project: "Water and Sanitation for 2 villages in Camoapa" Partner: El Porvenir Amount funded: $11,237 People Impacted: 271 Status: Completed PWX report

Mrs. Rosibel Martinez is single mother of 43 years. She has lived her whole life in Salgado since birth, growing up here and still lives here with 2 of her 3 children. Her oldest, Fanis, lives in Managua where she migrated, looking for a way to support her son. Erika, 23 and Jorling 20 live Camoapa, also trying to earn a living. Fanis's 6 year old son, Aldrich also lives with Rosibel in Salgado. Rosibel is Aldrich's grandmother, although effectively acts as mother to the child.

Mrs. Rosibel tells us that the water situation in her community has been very difficult since the only way to get the vital liquid was in waterholes that her neighbors have since on her small plot no water is available nor even the space to dig a waterhole. Her small hut takes up most of the room on the plot. However, the neighbors aren't always so willing to share, especially in the dry season when less water is available, but she bore the shame due to necessity.

We asked her, what do you do for washing? I go down to the river, since the watering holes are only for drinking water and some cooking or chores. I also bathe down in the river. This is sometimes tiring from these long walks to get down to the river, since it is so far from home. Sometimes we get down there and the water is dirty, if someone else was washing earlier, or since the river is not too full, the water can pond and get stagnant. It doesn't run much. Even so, so as not to waste the trip, we try to wash as best we can.

But now, we have the well project just a few meters from the house. We asked her: How do you feel now? Well, I am happy, since I no longer have to walk so much to the waterholes or river. I feel I have a little more energy in my body to do other things, like going to drop off my grandson at school since he is in preschool and the school is 2.1km away. Now that the well is so close, it is easier to do my chores at home, bathe myself inside my house with a bucket without having togo to the river. Also, I put a rock on the side of the house to wash my clothes right here. With this project I feel my life has changed a lot in all aspects, at least now I don't get so many colds as before, probably since I spend less time in the river washing clothes. Before I was always getting cramps, flu and coughs, I think it was because of the river.

As a beneficiary of this project I feel very grateful with the people that helped us. They are people of great heart because they don't even know us and even so made this great gesture to help us, to reach out and help with this daily need of ours. They resolved the problem not just of water which is very important, but also from a health point of view. From my view, these people I want to tell them that they can feel relaxed also because we as beneficiaries we are going to take care of this very wonderful project for our lives. The money that was invested here in our families will be taken advantage of and we will demonstrate it by keeping the project very beautiful and cared for, so I just want to say thanks! And that I am very happy with the well.