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inpartnershipwithFirst Year ReportWASH Program Area(WPA) CholutecaCholuteca, Honduras

Program OverviewBy using Living Water International’s OVERFLOW 25¹ strategy andFlourish² model to implement a WASH program consisting of 124water projects, we expect to achieve the following outcomes:¹ water.cc/strategy/² water.cc/flourish/³ water.cc/connection/integral-mission/Project Goal: Improve the physical, spiritual and social well-being ofpeople who lack basic Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)services by contributing to ensuring access to water and sanitation.Beneficiaries: 27,200 peopleTimeline: Five years (July 2023 to June 2028)Location: 56 communitiesin Choluteca,HondurasInvestment: $333,000 per year for first two years (2024-2025)EMPOWERED ANDFLOURISHINGCHURCHESLocal churchesmobilized forintegral missionFacilitatorslinked tomobilizedchurchesChurchesstrengthened fornetworkingChurch leaderstrained forintegral missionSTRENGTHENEDINSTITUTIONALAND COMMUNITYPARTICIPATIONCommunityleaders andnetworksmobilized forWASHCommunity-basedorganizations(CBOs)coordinated forWASHmanagementDisaster-resilientcommunitiesHOLISTIC ANDSUSTAINABLEWASH SERVICESCreation andstrengthening ofsustainabledrinking watersystemsHealth andhygienepracticesCare ofecosystemsassociated withwater sourcesCholutecaClick here tosee the maplocation.

We formed five strategic alliances:Municipality of CholutecaWorld VisionSwiss Cooperation Water Governance ProgramWater and Sewerage National Autonomous Service(SANAA)National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH)The leaders of 40 local churches joined the Flourishnetwork and attended training in this model.We helped form 24 care groups that attended training topromote good WASH practices in their communities.Through 38 water projects, 11,270 people in 30communities received access to safe water.Communities received 22 new hand pump water systems,12 rehabilitated water systems and four upgradedexisting piped water supply systems.Through outreach methods like evangelistic services andBible distributions, 6,748 people received the Gospel.Through 39 Bible story workshops, church membersbecame equipped with skills in Bible storytelling.Year 1 Highlights

Main Program ActivitiesWASH PromotionThrough our efforts alongsideLiving Water International, localcare group volunteers replicatedin their communities the hygienepractices that they learned intraining. They reached 1,652people with these messages.Of the 24 total care groups, 21 ofthem support communities,while the remaining threesupport schools. Additionally,communities developed 39WASH plans that they willmonitor and improve.We also rehabilitated four schoolrestrooms. Each improvedrestroom includes single-sexstations for boys, girls andteachers, with flushable urinalsand toilets that are disability-inclusive. We also installed fouroutdoor sinks to promotehygienic handwashing practices.School care group after trainingRehabilitated restrooms Care group training with leaders

Choluteca’s church network meetingGospel proclamation at programdedication serviceChurch and CommunityMobilizationAnother 39 envisioningworkshops introduced churchmembers to the concept ofintegral mission, helping themcraft a vision for theircommunities. A total of 40 localchurches gathered to form theFlourish network, where theyreceived training on promotingthe church’s mission. We also implemented a multi-stakeholder learning forumwhere 40 community andchurch leaders shared theirissues, challenges andexpectations about the integralmission and their WASH needs.Gospel Proclamation A total of 6,748 people receivedthe Gospel through a variety ofoutreach methods, includingevangelistic services in thecommunities, distribution ofBible literature, sanitation andhygiene promotion activities,and water project dedicationservices. Additionally, weconducted 39 Bible storyworkshops that equipped churchmembers to interpret andcommunicate biblical passagesthrough storytelling.Please click this icon to viewmore activities from thisprogram’s first year.

IndicatorsFirst YearTargetsFirst YearActualVarianceWater projects3938-1Direct water users10,75011,270520School restrooms440Handwashing and sanitation facilities440Health and hygiene promotion activities3503544Envisioning workshops/community WASH plans39390People who received the Gospel7,5256,748-777Multi-stakeholder learning forums21-1Bible storying workshops39390Water committees that were strengthenedand equipped4438-6Summary of Program IndicatorsChallengesWeather and geological conditions: Rain limited the staff’s accessto communities and residents’ abilities to participate in workshops.Additionally, harder rocks led to frequent equipment breakdowns.Low participation of men and youth in program activities: Mostparticipants were women, children and older adults becauseyoung men were migrating to find work.Transformation of the church from offering passive handouts tobeing proactive and mobilized: There was a prevalent view ofevangelical and Catholic churches only being involved in gospelproclamation and spiritual well-being.

We learned many lessons in this first year of program implementation,with the following lessons standing out:Forming care groups in schools with teenagers in middle and highschool so that they can replicate their knowledge with youngerchildren was undoubtedly an effective method to disseminatehygiene and sanitation best practices. Extending invitations to pastors and community leaders forworkshops despite their literacy/education level enhancedinclusivity.Respecting and understanding local churches’ visions, internalleadership and decision-making dynamics and not imposing uponthem is vital to building healthy and constructive relationships.The low participation of men and youth in program activities,caused by the migration of young men to find work, needs to beconsidered in our ongoing program strategies and activities,tailoring activities effectively to women along with men and youthwhen feasible.Lessons LearnedSusan Rodriguez, a 23-year-old woman who was involved in herchurch’s Sunday school from a young age, received training fromLiving Water as a Sanitation and Hygiene Community Facilitator,along with her mother and other residents. She found great joy inteaching the children in her Sunday school class about hygiene, usingsongs and lessons to make the teaching relatable. Susan evenintegrated hygiene lessons into Bible teachings, emphasizing theimportance of caring for one’s body as a way of honoring God.Grateful to God, Susan highlighted how the safe water project andthis training not only benefitted her community but also nearby areas.She noted how some non-believers who participated in theworkshops have begun attending church. Testimonial

About Food For The PoorFood For The Poor, one of the largest international relief anddevelopment organizations in the nation, does much more than feedmillions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 15countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. Thisinterdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency reliefassistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support forvulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visitfoodforthepoor.org.If you would like more information about this report, please contactyour advisor.