Residents of the Caserío Coco Azul community faced a dire water crisis that fueled a cycle of lost time, poverty, and disease. “There is no water source in the community. Some houses have shallow wells, but they are drying up. Some people have government-piped water, but it never comes, so they still face shortages. They used to boil or add chlorine to well water to reduce the risk of illness, but it was time-consuming and unsustainable. Plus, it still made us sick. That was difficult because we needed water for everything—cleaning, drinking, and more,” said Ana Elizabeth Mendez Tuches, a 39-year-old resident. [read more]