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.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Day 9 - Fri 6.10.2011

We woke up today at 5:30 today, ready to go. Our first order of business was a meeting with a local man who has been conducting a personal survey of the Sandy Bay colonia to determine demographic information and identify critical issues in the community. His primary concern is the construction of a rehabilitation center as the nearest center is located on the mainland. Following that meeting, we hustled off to get tour of a few other colonias and, thus, a better understanding of the bigger picture.
The first colonia that we toured was Luz y Vida, started by two pastors to provide affordable housing for families in the Dixon Cove area. The road to the colonia passes a spot with sweeping views of the beach and ocean. Set in the middle of a palm forest, about an hour’s walk from the main road, the location of Luz y Vida is not ideal. The community benefits, however, from greater planning. The homes are all made of concrete block and have metal roofs. Water and gas are supplied by trucks. They pay about 50 Lempiras for each barrel of water. Water barrels in this community, just like those in the Sandy Bay colonia, were mostly open to the elements. Some also have rain catchment systems on their roofs. Electricity has not yet arrived there. The Patrinatos in charge of this colonia are currently seeking funding to afford the installation of solar panels for each home. There were also suggestions about using gasoline generators, but the idea was not preferable as gas on the island currently runs about $5.00 per gallon.

The second colonia we visited was the colonia Santa Maria. The main dirt road ran along seven parallel side streets with about 20 homes on each block. There is a total of 138 homes. The houses were also constructed of cement block. In back of this community, excavation is under way for a new colonia. It appears that a hospital is being built on the cliff just beyond the new colonia.We drove back into the colonia and Tom asked a man on the street where he could find the colonia leader. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and chat at length with the founder of this colonia.

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