In the latest effort to aid families affected by COVID-19 worldwide, Advancing Life Foundation has recently partnered up with TECHO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting extreme poverty in Latin America. Our united efforts will provide water and hygiene access for rural settlements by adding rain-harvesting systems and hand-washing stations in 10 villages.
The initial stage of recovery in Mexico following COVID-19 is focused on helping communities restart their lives and strengthen their economic and health resilience. TECHO funds the creation of global hygiene and security strategy in areas of Monterrey, Querétaro, Toluca, Ciudad de México, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Guadalajara.
The rain-harvesting systems will be placed at the community school of each village, adding to an important community center and providing access to free, clean water. In each village, five new hand-washing stations throughout the community will help decrease the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. TECHO volunteers will also provide sanitation and hygiene training to ensure the new resources are used effectively.
TECHO promotes a fair and integrated society with no poverty where all people can develop their human rights, their duties, and their capabilities. In Mexico alone, they’ve built 6,035 shelters, activated 41 neighboring committees, created 379 rainwater harvesting systems, 26 community halls, and 10 active scholar strengthening programs.
TECHO’s three-fold strategy for helping those in need is to promote hygiene committees, build rainwater harvesting systems, and provide innovative handwashing units to encourage neighboring communities to develop sustainable hygiene habits.
By creating local committees, TECHO can train leaders in hygiene and sanitation protocols to assist their community in maintaining healthy habits. Rainwater harvesting systems bring 180 liters of potable water to communities during the rainwater season. This provides an annual savings of 10% of each families’ income and brings safe and clean water to them, safe for human consumption.
The organization also helps develop water management plans for towns and city community centers and schools to install, operate, and maintain operation. Hand washing units help limit contact with the surface of furniture with a simple rechargeable water dispenser. They can attend to 20 people per day of operation, with five stations in each community center.