Dignity Restored for the Mendozas

Every day, the Mendoza family woke up to the same worries, especially on rainy days. Would their old, crumbling latrine hold up? Or would the wastewater overflow again, running toward the nearby stream that the community used for washing and cleaning?

For Jessenia, her husband, and their two children, this fear was constant. Living in the rural hills of Los Andes in Jinotega, Nicaragua, they relied on a latrine that was falling apart and unsafe to use, a challenge shared by many families in their village

“Every time it rained, we were afraid the wastewater would overflow,” Jessenia recalled. The latrine’s proximity to the community stream added constant worry. “We felt unsafe. The smell, the risk of disease, and having no other options left us afraid every day.”

In 2024, everything began to change when Los Andes was selected to participate in a hydraulic flush latrine construction project supported by Advance Community in partnership with Green Empowerment and AVODEC. The goal was simple but powerful: to bring clean, safe, and dignified sanitation systems to families who had lived without them for generations.

Through the project, 50 new latrines were built, and residents received training on hygiene, maintenance, and healthy practices. More than 200 people in the community benefited from this effort, including the Mendoza family.

For Jessenia, the change was immediate: “I’m no longer afraid my children will get sick. We have a system that is safe and clean, I finally feel at peace.”

Her eldest son, Andrés, agrees: “Before, everything was a struggle, especially during the rainy season. Now we live with dignity, our health has improved, and we have more time to study and work on the farm.”

Today, the Mendoza family and their neighbors enjoy a safer, healthier life. Their story is proof that something as simple as sanitation can transform a family’s and a village’s, future.

In places where so many live in unsanitary conditions with unsafe water, your gift can bring health, dignity, and hope that transforms entire villages.