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General Information
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About the Clean Water Initiative
 Today, many rural communities in Central America have access to some sort of water systems infrastructure thanks to investments made by national and international aid institutions. However, these communities often lack the appropriate technical skills to operate these water systems. As a result water systems are either abandoned or poorly managed and most of this valuable infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. This raises serious public health concerns, especially for youth and elderly populations who are the most vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases.
Since 1989, the International Center’s Clean Water Initiative has brought clean drinking water to communities in need in rural Central America. Rather than building water infrastructure, the International Center focuses on empowering local people to take the lead on building and operating their own water systems through the innovative “ Circuit Rider Program.” Twenty years of experience in rural communities in Honduras, through the Asociación Hondureña de Juntas Administradoras de Sistemas de Agua ( AHJASA), and in El Salvador through the Association of Water Systems ( ASSA) have proven the success of this program. Since its creation, over 720 communities have joined the Circuit Rider program across Honduras and El Salvador. The program is also gradually expanding to other Central American countries including Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize, and in Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.
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CWI Circuit Rider Program |
 The International Center, in collaboration with The Asociación Hondureña de Juntas Administradoras de Sistemas de Agua or AHJASA (Honduran Association of Water Boards for the Management of Water Systems) and El Salvador Water Association ( ASSA) has developed a holistic program to address the problem of poor water infrastructure. This program, based on the Circuit Rider Model has created successful and self-sufficient rural water boards in Central America.
The Circuit Rider program is modeled after the community-based established instituted by the National Rural Water Association ( IRWA) over 25 years ago in the United States. In this tradition, qualified individuals (traditionally doctors, judges and ministers) travel from community to community, providing essential services in areas such as water and sanitation. In Honduras, water technicians regularly visit rural community water systems in their assigned districts. During these visits, they meet with the community waterboards to discuss problems, track progress, inspect water systems, double-check the records to verify financial sustainability, and meet with the community at large to ensure local involvement.
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Where the CWI works
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Since its creation in 1989, the spread of the Circuit Rider program across Central America has been astounding. From seventeen communities in Honduras, it has grown to support more than 650 community water systems across the country benefiting more than a half million people. News of the program’s success spread to neighboring communities, resulting in the continued growth and popularity of the program.
The program has experienced similar success in El Salvador, where a small Circuit Rider Program was established to provide clean water during the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 2001. Eight years later, a program that started in just five communities, is now self-sustaining, reaching 72 water systems, and is expected to reach 150 more communities in ten departments by 2012, benefiting 185,000 inhabitants.
With the creation of the Federation of Rural Water Association (FANCASA) in 2005, the program is spreading to neighboring countries including Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua and Costa Rica and to Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.
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| Get Involved
The generous
contributions of donors and volunteers alike are
integral to the success of NFP's efforts to bring
clean reliable water to poor rural communities in
Central America. However they choose to
help--through a donation or by taking part in
volunteer opportunities--they are making a real
difference in the lives of thousands of world
citizens. You can be one of them! Please help!! |
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