The Village of Sompopera Now has Running Water
Pedro and Yanira used to have to carry water for their family, their crops and their animals. Every villager in Sompompera struggled after wells dried up due to a prolonged drought. After your support for training, village leaders ran over 5 mile of pipes to bring water from a mountain spring. Life is now different in Sompopera, all thanks to you.
For the last 30 years, Pedro Herrera has farmed his land in the mountains of Pantasma, in the northern region of Nicaragua. His large mustache parts to reveal a set of silver-plated teeth as he greets us at his porch. “People from CEPAD are always welcome at my house,” he says.
Pedro’s village of Sompopera faced big challenges. The families in the village didn’t have potable water. The lack of rain caused the water springs and wells to dry up. There were only two options, they could either purchase water from a truck that entered their village once a week or they had to walk a mile or more to the nearest clean water source.
Pedro’s family had to transport the water they needed by hand or in an ox cart. Even though an ox cart is a luxury for many, they still couldn’t get enough to water for their crops and to adequately provide water to their farm animals.
Six years ago, CEPAD began work in the village of Sompopera where Pedro lives. Pedro is one of the community leaders. He remembers attending the first trainings provided by CEPAD and learned things he had never learned before. He then used that knowledge to help people around him.
With their new knowledge from CEPAD Pedro and the other village leaders knew they now had the ability to make much needed changes. They formed a cooperative and worked hard with local government and others to fund the installation of over 5 miles of water pipes to bring water to the village from a mountain spring.
After three years of hard work, the project is now close to being completed. The most backbreaking work is done. The pipe has been purchased and is expected to be put in the ground next week. “See that trench beside the road? It goes all the way up the mountain to the natural spring.” Pedro continues, “every family benefited by the project was responsible for digging 20 yards of trench.”
In 2014 CEPAD finished work with the village of Sompopera but Pedro and the other the village leaders are now equipped to continue solving problems affecting their neighbors. Pedro smiles again, only the second time he has smiled since we started talking, as he looks at the recently dug trench. “Next we need to get some electricity into the community.”
One of the most important aspects of CEPAD’s work in the communities is that the work and improvements continue long after the five-year plan ends.
This project is almost complete, but the work of the community leaders is all but done. Thanks to the support you provide for CEPAD’s work in this community, these leaders will continue bringing change for their families and neighbors.
