A Research Project in Roatan, Honduras

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, located 35 miles north of mainland Honduras. The island is approximately 3 miles wide and 30 miles long with a resident population of 65,000. The local economy is dominated by tourism- the tropical setting with resorts, beaches, and reef diving are the primary attractions. Visitation has increased substantially- from 15,000 in 1990, to 700,000 in 2010, and 1 million plus expected in 2011. Visitors arrive by airline, ferries from the mainland, or cruise ships that make frequent stops at the two docks recently constructed for them.

Colonia Policarpo is the largest of four colonias clustered in a relatively new settlement that lies on a steep hillside on the northwest side of the island near Sandy Bay. Most of the colonia residents have migrated from mainland Honduras seeking service and construction jobs in the tourism industry. Policarpo has approximately 520 households and 3,000 residents, half under age 16. Prior to 2006, most colonia residents obtained their drinking water from rainwater catchment or shallow hand dugs well subject to pollution. Since that time Living Water 4 Roatan (LW4R), a non-governmental organization, has worked with Policarpo residents to develop a self-sustaining water system that provides treated drinking water to households on a limited basis.

The Global Partnership Project student organization at Northern Arizona University (GPP-NAU) is collaborating with this community, LW4R, and a local health clinic in an effort to improve the quality of life in the colonia. This partnership is considered to be a multi-year endeavor between NAU and Colonia Policarpo. The long term goals for this and future trips include:

- Build relationships in Roatan and within the colonia community.
- Provide for adequate sanitation systems to all residences to reduce the chances of disease outbreaks such as cholera, malaria, and dengue fever.
- Expand and improve the water system, reduce the energy costs for operating it.
- Provide for adequate solid waste collection and erosion control.
- Perform social network mapping and interviewing to gain a better understanding of the community and their needs, particularly for public works improvements.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Day 8 - Thurs 6.9.2011

Shannon, McWane, and Josh arrive
             We arrived in Roatan at 12pm and we were greeted by Henry Zittrower, Enrique Valdez and Enrique’s wife and his son, and Mercedes. After a typical Honduran lunch at “Bojangles” we did some grocery shopping and then headed for the Pirate’s Den Hotel where we unloaded and met with Henry to get caught up on what’s been happening in the community.
            We are learning that electricity is a critical issue on the island. Major price increases are quickly putting the water committee’s electric bill out of reach. There are also concerns over unfair billing and distribution practices that price electricity out of the realm of many residents. Henry indicated that one of the goals is to computeriz the the water board's billing and accounting system bills.  Henry also has plans to construct an education center in the colonia. We are turning up lots of interesting opportunities for the education department to get involved in GPP.
            Later in the evening, we headed over to the colonia, where we did an informal assessment to find out what people are paying for electricity, and to see some of the systems that people are using for cooking, sanitation, and erosion control within their properties. One resident of a neighborhood in the Colonia called Caracol planted bamboo around the perimeter of his home and said that he was able to stop his land from eroding away when the rains came. Bamboo has an added advantage for this man because he uses the bamboo to make furniture and flute-like instruments.

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