WASH for El Coyote, Honduras

The rural community of El Coyote is located in the municipality of Maraita, Francisco Morazan, Honduras. Even though El Coyote is only 6.2km (3.8 miles) from the town center in Maraita, it takes about 45 minutes to reach the community by truck due to the challenging road conditions.

The members of this community had seen safe water projects implemented by Pure Water for the World. They reached out to the PWW staff with a request to be considered for a project. The PWW team conducted a needs assessment in the community to determine the community needs related to water, sanitation and hygiene education.

Through the assessment, it was determined that the health of community members was greatly compromised by the lack of access to safe water, a lack of safe sanitation facilities, and a lack of knowledge about healthy hygiene practices. Through water analysis, it was determined that the water consumed in El Coyote was not safe water for human consumption.

Thanks to generous funding from Rotary Club of Milford, all 21 families in El Coyote now have reliable access to safe water and sanitation and the knowledge to sustain it for future generations!   

Today, these 21 families celebrate their new lives. They have reliable access to safe water. They know how to protect their water sources. They have safe sanitation at their homes. Everyone in the community has received layers of education, empowering them with the knowledge to use their tools and hygiene practices to protect their health and the health of their community.


  •  21 families (75 people) have biosand water filters installed in their homes.
  • 10 families, who were in need of safe sanitation, have toilets at their home; they received required materials, construction training, and follow-up guidance from the PWW team.
  • All families were trained in the usage and maintenance of their water filters.
  • All families participated in a comprehensive WASH training program, encompassing the topics of: environmental education, water source protection, home hygiene, personal hygiene, and sanitation education.
  • Six (6) individuals were trained as Community Agents, community members who will serve as an extension of the PWW team, providing local support and reinforcement of their community’s WASH program.
  • The local health clinic partnered with PWW to provide anti-parasite medicine to all community members.


My name is Rosa Maria Ochoa Velásquez. I am 23 years old. I live with my daughter Katerine Fernanda Gonzales Ochoa and my husband Delmer Leonel Gonzales.

I live in the community El Coyote and my house is newly built. Before the PWW project arrived, my house did not have a toilet, and I had to relieve myself by borrowing a toilet or defecating in the open. I learned from PWW that, in this way, I was polluting the environment and the water.

I didn’t consume clean water because I get my water from a well that is easily contaminated by animals and people. My daughter has dealt with a lot of stomach pain and illnesses, and so have I, because we did not treat the water.

From the day the PWW project arrived, our situation changed. PWW helped us with a toilet and a biosand water filter.

Today I feel blessed and grateful to God and to all of the PWW staff. Thanks to them, today we drink clean filtered water. My daughter does not suffer from stomach issues anymore. Also, now we have a personal toilet, so we no longer will be polluting the environment. I feel happy. Thanks to the donors and PWW.


My name is Maria de los Santos Velásquez. I live in the community of El Coyote. I have three children and two grandchildren.

My life before the PWW project arrived in the municipality of Maraita was very different. During the rainy season, the water becomes very dirty and you need to boil or chlorinate it. But thanks to God, the PWW project and all of the PWW staff that arrived at my community, and especially at my house, I got the blessing of having a biosand water filter. I didn’t drink much water before because of the taste it had, but the filter gives a better taste to the water, and I’m certain I’m drinking safe, clean, filtered water.


PWW thanks the members of Rotary Club of Milford, NH for making this life-changing work possible. Their contribution is a long-term investment that has empowered the children and families of El Coyote with the essential tools and knowledge to protect their overall health, safety, and wellbeing…not just for today, but for generations to come.