Noemi Alvarado Fonseca is a 33-year-old woman living in the community of El Retiro high in the mountains of central Honduras. Noemi lives with her husband, Wilmer Renal Alvarez Alvarado, and their three children: Jerson Reinal, age 11; Areli Ester, age 6; and Ever Neptali, age 3. Areli and Jerson attend classes at the community’s elementary school, and Ever Neptali helps her around the house. Originally from Tegucigalpa, Noemi moved to El Retiro 11 years ago when she married Wilmer Reinal, who is from El Retiro. Wilmer Reinal works in agriculture, farming mostly corn and beans, and they both cut coffee during the harvesting months from December to March in order to support their family.
Her Water Story
Noemi’s house has never been connected to a water system, and therefore they have never had a consistent supply of water available to their house. In order to access water, Noemi and the other members of her family walk about ten minutes downhill to a small spring. There they bathe and wash their clothes, but in order to have water in their house for domestic use such as cooking and cleaning, they have to carry water back uphill to their home. Noemi says that all members of the family take turns going to the water source all throughout the day, usually making about 6 different trips each day. With each trip they generally carry back one or two large plastic water jugs, like the one pictured to the left, and store whatever water they are not using in the moment in large plastic buckets inside their house. Noemi boils her family’s drinking water before consuming it, which helps minimize the risk of contracting any bacteria or parasites that could be present in the water source. This is especially important for her young children who are especially suceptable to contracting waterborne illnesses.
Noemi’s husband, Wilmer Reinal, is working in the new water project with Water Brigades in order to earn a household faucet, which will provide access to sufficient, clean water right outside of their home. Noemi commented that the water situation in El Retiro has been very difficult and at times terrible, and expressed that she is very happy for the upcoming water project.
