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Project Felix

On 4th September 2007, Hurricane Felix made landfall on the Atlantic coast of Nicaraguaas a category 5 hurricane.  Over 100 people died in the storm which destroyed more than 10,000 homes.  Nuevas Esperanzasoffered assistance to meet urgent needs for water and sanitation and was assigned the task of addressing immediate needs in the municipality of Rosita in the Región Autónoma Atlántico Norte by the government’s disaster relief committee.

Nuevas Esperanzas worked jointly with the Ministry of Health to bring clean water supplies to the hundreds of families living in shelters after losing their homes.  Shelters in the three communities of California, El Black and Las Breñas were given the highest priority due to the risk of outbreaks of disease. 

A temporary water supply was installed at California and a spring source close to the shelter developed.  The spring source was protected with a structure which filters the water and provides enough storage to ensure that the supply was able to meet demand at peak times.  In El Black the contaminated well was treated and the water chlorinated for use.  In the community of Las Breñas a contaminated well was rehabilitated using an innovative solution to filter the water.  In each of these three communities, two latrines were constructed to provide improved sanitation, a cost-effective method of disease prevention.

Nuevas Esperanzas also assessed wells believed to be contaminated by the storm and undertook work to treat contaminated water supplies.  The water and sanitation team was equipped with submersible and non-submersible pumps which were used to remove contaminated flood waters where necessary and large supplies of chlorine to disinfect wells, as well as a portable laboratory to test the bacteriological quality of the water.

Funds for this project were provided by the Peace and Hope Shop, Llantwit Major,Llantwit Major Community Church and other private donors.