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DCL
Monday March 22 is World Water Day and to celebrate the holiday, I thought it prudent to talk about what one organization was doing right. El Porvenir, a small Denver-based non-profit is working to supply clean water to the more than 80 percent of the country that is currently without it. To date, El Porvenir has supplied water to over 105,000 of those in need. The organization has been successful because of its efforts to work side by side Nicaraguans building life-saving clean water wells, latrines, community washing stations, and fuel-efficient stoves.
Nicaragua Flies Under the Radar
While the country often flies under the radar, one of its most unsettling issues is that of clean water. In fact, the leading cause of death for children under five are water-born diseases, according to El Porvenir. In response to the issue, the organization has run over 740 water sanitation projects.
The once plush forests that played host to nearly 9,000 different species of plants and animals in Nicaragua are now 50 percent gone. And in response the organization has planted more than 530,425 trees and built 888 fuel-efficient cook stoves that use 60 percent less fuel. El Porvenir has changed the clean water landscape in areas like Cacao Maunica and Las Mesas by installing latrines, wells, and water systems.
Take a Work Trip to Nicaragua
You can get one on one with an affected community by doing a work project through El Provenir. The trips are one or two weeks long and the groups are between 10 and 15 people. You'll help out with sanitation projects, reforestation projects, and construction of water facilities. You'll be accompanied by a translator throughout the trip if you can't speak the language. Trips cost between $800 and $1075 and include everything but your flight. You can also make a donation to El Porvenir here.
