Bottled Water In Central America

In the United States, it is safe to say that a lot of us take our lives for granted. Very few Americans ever worry about the water we drink, or the amount of water we use while taking a shower. If you don't like tap water, you can just go buy bottled water at the store. The choice is yours. Depending on your choice, you can take a five minute, or an hour long shower. There's even a water temperature control provided for you. Showers are taken in clean, sanitized bathrooms. Although taking a shower, or drinking from a water bottle don't sound like such a big deal, thousands of people living in poor conditions with dirty water, and without proper sanitation, consider you lucky. Unlike us who do have clean water and sanitation, and the opportunity
to choose, these people don't, and they struggle with their daily lives.

Honduras is the second poorest country located in Central America.
Approximately 63 percent of the population live below the extreme poverty line. The country suffers from unequal distributions of income and high unemployment rates. Low education levels limit adults to find jobs or have careers. The average rural family, lives in a small, crowded, hut or home, made of scrap metals, branches and have dirt floors. Their homes typically have very simple ovens with no ventilation, which causes respiratory and eye problems in children. Because of insufficient incomes, parents can't afford education for their children, resulting in the kids having to stay at home and many are forced into labor.

In rural Honduras, most of the population lives in isolated communities or on the sides of mountain slopes where they receive the least productive land. The people mainly work as farmers and work for plantations earning small incomes or, work on their own land and produce their own food. However, due to erosion and loss of fertile soil, the results are poor crops. Families are left without good food production and children suffer from hunger. Going out to eat or buying food from a local grocery store, is not an option for these
people.

Water is a very important necessity of life, but is lacked by many people in poor countries. Honduras is an example of a community that lacks access to fresh, clean, water. Due to the bad conditions of water found here, people are prone to diseases and are continuously sick. Children commonly suffer from bacterial diarrhea, and Hepatitis A. Parasites, and lice are also acquired due to unsanitary baths and dirty water. This could easily be prevented if they had the adequate sanitation and clean water they desperately need. However, Honduras doesn’t have the sufficient wealth or experts to help resolve this situation once and for all.

A program in the United States called USAID, as well as other WASH programs, are committed to coordinate a focus on water across the agriculture, health, and climate in the country. One thing they do is expand access to water supply and sanitation to provide better hygiene and fight preventable diseases. Improving water resource management, and increasing water productivity in agriculture are also some focuses of this program.

If Honduras had programs like USAID or WASH, the economy would greatly benefit, as it's problems would gradually decrease.
People would be healthier, have better hygiene, and live happier. Clean water would be provided for drinking, and washing, as well as for better sewage systems, plumbing, and proper sanitation. Along with giving farm land better soil for growing crops. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of money and dedicated people.

We need to help improve the living conditions of underdeveloped countries like Honduras. Teaching them ways of managing a clean water supply, and distributing it equally within the communities. Help families and kids achieve proper sanitation and good hygiene. Provide food sources to lessen the amounts of starving kids. As well as help kids who are suffering from diseases or parasites by given them medical attention and sanitized baths.

There are many programs in the United States that help aid people in need with free medical attention, food and water supply, and temporary shelter. These programs have been successful in many natural disasters not only in America, but in other countries as well. Countries like us, should help out Honduras. We need to help save these poor kids lives. We can't let them stand alone in a situation like
this.