Meet La Coyotera. After leaving the Amigos Complex in Chinandega and winding north on the beautiful Pan-American highway for over an hour, you’ll find a small dirt road – one of hundreds – that veers off and leads to several small farming communities. One of the communities on one of these dirt roads is La Coyotera: a humble corner that thirty-two families call home. Amigos’ first interaction with this community dates back over a decade with the introduction of our economic development projects.
Since that first interaction, La Coyotera has installed a complete water system, built Modern Bathrooms, achieved 100% school attendance, and participated in the Microcredit Loan program – and that is just the start! Not only have they embraced and implemented Plan 7 since its beginning, but we have also watched them transform as a community.
When we come across a community like La Coyotera, we have to step back and see why they are so successful. Through their growth and transformation, they are transforming us as well. La Coyotera was the first community to volunteer to serve in another community, working alongside them to dig their water lines. Amigos lead Community Advocate in La Coyotera, Magdiel (pictured right), put it this way: “La Coyotera is full of Bright Spots. They all want change and a better life, and their passion is contagious. As it has once been said, transformed people, transform people. La Coyotera is no exception.”
La Coyotera has proven themselves to be a model community. That’s why they were chosen to help us test our new Water Perfect app. Right now, someone from the La Coyotera water committee is walking from house to house, gathering information about water production and usage on an iPad. Our team will use this data to monitor and make adjustments to the water system as needed. This app is the newest phase of technology to pave the way for lasting transformation in rural Nicaragua.
Each community we partner with elects a water committee to own and manage their water system, fostering independence and leadership. Water Perfect will help meet the needs of these community leaders. Throughout 2020, John Bland (left) worked closely with the team to develop the app. Together, they created it tailored specifically to the community’s needs. “They’ll be able to track water usage, print bills, and give real-time data for how their clean water system is functioning,” says John Bland. While we are still fine-tuning the app, soon, all of our partner communities will be collecting real-time, valuable data. This will ensure the success of their water systems, all thanks to the commitment of the people of La Coyotera.
