A small community located in an indigenous reservation in Panama’s most impoverished province is a four hour hike from any transportation and receives almost no government or other development assistance due to its isolation and small population. There are no latrines and the small aqueduct that exists taps directly into a local water ground source and is left untreated. This aqueduct does not serve every house and is often not functioning, resulting in a large percentage of the population bathing in and drinking from open water sources. These water sources are severely contaminated with human fecal matter as a result of the lack of latrines. All members of the 250+ population defecate in open fields and streams due to lack of an alternative. The result of this lack of sanitation is widespread, constant diarrhea due to human parasites. It is not uncommon for children to die of diarrhea-related illnesses. This project proposes to provide materials and training to every household in order to achieve 100% latrine coverage. The community is being organized by two prominent local leaders who requested the project and the community is providing local materials and labor. They will carry all of the materials: cement, sand, gravel, roofing metal and rod up and down steep mountain paths as part of their contribution to this project.
