Mexico

Supporting behaviour change and strengthening the WASH sector in the state of Guanajuato

Mano a mano

Photo 1 of 5 - Hands with eyes and mouth sing this song to hum while we remove viruses from our skin by washing our hands with soap and water. (Spanish)

Photo 2 of 5 - Credit: Terry Hugues

Photo 3 of 5 - Credit: Terry Hugues

Photo 4 of 5 - Credit: Terry Hugues

Photo 5 of 5 - Credit: Terry Hugues

Photo 1 of 5

Hands with eyes and mouth sing this song to hum while we remove viruses from our skin by washing our hands with soap and water. (Spanish)

The Guanajuato project increases access to drinking water and improved sanitation in rural Guanajuato.

A Lazos de Agua Project

48,800

Targeted population

5 years

2017 to 2022

Guanajuato

Mexico

US$14.3M

Budget

Ongoing

Partners involved

One Drop thanks its partners in the Lazos de Agua Program: the Inter-American Development Bank, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and Fundación FEMSA — as well as Living Water International, the project’s executing partner, and the Comisión Estatal del Agua de Guanajuato (CEAG) and Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA) — for making this life-changing project possible!

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Distributed 6,300 household hygiene kits reaching 32,000 people

Provided hand sanitizer to six health care facilities

Distributed 70 soap dispensers and 20 litres of soap to 35 schools

Distributed 20,000 brochures and posters on handwashing in coordination with the Secretaría de Salud de Guanajuato

Trained more than 1,200 community leaders in COVID-19 response

Reached more than 58,800 people through mass media COVID-19 prevention messages

Our key strategies

The Guanajuato project is part of the Lazos de Agua Program. It is implemented by Living Water International along with the CEAG — who manages component A of this project as part of the State of Guanajuato’s multi-million-dollar rural water and sanitation program. It strengthens both the technical and the managerial capacities of committees and municipalities in the WASH area, fosters behaviour change, and improves community access to affordable, quality WASH products and services. The Guanajuato project is partnering with Habitat for Humanity in component C, while also partnering with artist groups Imaginartes, Tiliches del baúl, Cine Colectivo, and Machincuepa, to develop its Social Art for Behaviour Change (SABC) interventions.

A·B·C for Sustainability

Access

The aim is to increase access to water and sanitation services that are safely and sustainably managed. This is done by building or improving infrastructure — in this case, water supply systems in 65 rural communities, and sanitation infrastructures in 25 rural communities.

Behaviour change

This project fosters the following behaviours through SABC interventions: drinking water treatment and safe storage, handwashing with soap and water at key moments, and payment of the water and sanitation services tariffs.

Capital

This project supports the emergent supply-chain of WASH-related services and goods, by granting up to US$75,000 in WASH-related micro-loans to approximately 500 people, and providing micro-financing and small-business training.

Visit the Lazos de Agua website

Results

As of December 31, 2021, more than 33,000 people

gained access to at least basic drinking water services and/or sanitation services at home

and almost 9,000 people have participated in SABC interventions.

Built/rehabilitated 15 instead of 14 planned water systems with strong commitment from the CEAG

to ensure access to safe drinking water for more than 16,000 people

despite the pandemic.

A communal drinking-water system, started in 2017, was completed.

The first stage of Sustainability activities

and the training of Change Leaders

have begun in La Escondida.

Project Milestone

Sep
2018

Events — New York NY

Art for One Drop 2018

An auction held in collaboration with Phillips Auction House and notable contemporary artists