Post Disaster reconstruction projects
"La Betania" in Honduras, Central America.
EcoSur E-magazine starts a series discussing different experiences in reconstruction projects.
In this first issue we look at a project implemented by the Honduran network partner “EcoViDe” after hurricane “Mitch” in 1998.
The project grew out of the emergency work and the EcoSouth network was able to connect EcoViDe with the “Swiss Red Cross” who financed the project together with “Swiss Solidarity”.
Situation at the time of the emergency
Hurricane “Mitch” hit Honduras end of October 1998 and the strongest
rainfall ever swelled the rivers until they swallowed whole communities
lining their banks. Some 200,000 houses were destroyed or severely
damaged, in top of a housing deficit of 700,000. Total damage was
estimated close to 4 billion USD which is more than two thirds of
Honduras annual gross domestic product.
Many international organizations moved fast to promise funds, mainly to the non-governmental relief- and development agencies. The need to act quickly combined with logistical difficulties and a lack of effective management on the part of an overwhelmed Honduras government resulting in an improvised and uncoordinated effort. The process was slowed down by the fact that no suitable land was available. Wherever a plot could be purchased, there was no municipal or national body able to provide infrastructural support. Some International donors resolved to install basic infrastructure on their own cost, others shipped water in during construction.
The project
The project concentrated on building a new community with families who
had lived in a high risk area. Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras,
is embedded between hills and virtually no level plot of land can be
found. To EcoViDe it was obvious that the growth area of Tegucigalpa
was towards the north, where in the Amarateca valley a new industrial
area was being developed, however, no suitable plot at affordable cost
could be sourced.
When the National Government decided to dedicate a farm in the foothills of Amarateca to build a satellite town, EcoViDe and the Betania grassroots committee were the first ones to decide.
After careful planning, construction was able to start 18 months after Mitch, and it took 18 months to finish 317 houses with assisted self help. Every family contributed 150 days of labour.
EcoSouth network provided efficient backstopping and set up a
management and controlling system that kept costs under control in
spite of inflation and was able to predict months before completion
that financial overdraft would be less than 1% !
E-magazine had reported on this project in its November 2004 issue.
La Betania revisited in 2008
Charlotte Belli, Psychologist from Nicaragua visited la Betania and her
collected impressions show exceptional high satisfaction among the
beneficiaries. This undoubtedly is a positive side effect of the
drawn-out time of insecurity without land, when the donor agency was
threatening to withdraw its support and EcoViDe was able to form a
strong community organization in Betania and the people learned to
fight for their dream.
The report from Lic. Belli can be downloaded here (only Spanish):
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