Bringing Water to the Diocese of Caruaru
CRS Brazil is improving the quality of life in the Diocese of Caruaru by helping families build cisterns to capture rainwater.
In the semi-arid region of Brazil, the lack of access to water is a glaring reminder of social exclusion. There is very little public interest in helping poor rural families who do not have the means to help themselves. Despite arid conditions, scarce drinking water, and politically adverse conditions, rural families in the Diocese of Caruarú maintain hope and are searching for creative solutions to their problems. To assist them in this struggle, CRS has developed a partnership with the Diocese of Caruarú that seeks to increase local capacity to build water structures such as cisterns in the towns of Caruarú and Riacho das Almas. CRS trains people at the grassroots level in resource mobilization enabling communities to enter into their own partnerships with the local government.
"This project is a blessing from God," said Mr. Jose "Zuza" Gomes da Silva. Zuza lives in the Pororoca community, in the town of Riacho das Almas. In Alto Bandeira, another community in the same town, Miss Nativa Pepeu da Silva shares Zuza's thoughts. "We are very happy because we have never heard about any kind of government concern for projects that concern the poor people," Nativa said.
How Do We Do This Project and What Are Our Accomplishments To Date?
This project was designed to help families work together and help each other, thus ensuring the sustainability of the project long after CRS is gone. Some of the project's recent accomplishments include:>
- In the first six months, the project helped 300 families (1,800 people) build 15,000-liter cisterns to capture rainwater for drinking and cooking. This is three times the number of families the project was designed to help.
- The Diocese is strengthening the project by developing relationships and garnering additional financial support from other organizations. With the additional funding, the Caruarú Diocese has created a community solidarity fund. Money from the fund is donated to families who in turn agree to reimburse part of the price of their cistern, which is used to help other families.
- Activities have already expanded to several other communities with resources from an initiative called the Program (to build) One Million Cisterns.
For CRS and partner Cáritas it has been gratifying to see the families work so hard to make the project a success. Most importantly, the families are learning how to supervise and influence public policy to ensure that there are more resources available to help those who desperately need them. Thus, little by little, CRS is helping to build strong communities prepared to overcome unjust structures and develop their full potential.
