Candelaria, Honduras

Candelaria | Honduras

The Community

  • 200 households with a population of about 2,500 

  • Nearly 5,500 people in the surrounding rural areas. 

In-Country Partner

  • Local Government Leaders of the Community                

The Need

  • Environmentally safe landfill for material that can’t be recycled or composted to replace previous incineration and open-air garbage dumps. 

  • Evaluation of new business opportunities 

EWB-CPC Involvement

  • 2010 – Initial Assessment Trip

    • Developed relationship with Community

    • Identified location for landfill cells, Recycle Center and plant nursery

  • 2011 – Two Implementation and Assessment Trips

    • Landfill cell construction and Recycle Center improvements

    • Plant nursery and organic composting demonstration project

    • Taught workshops for micro-business opportunities 

  • 2012 – Implementation Trip

    • Constructed second landfill cell, leachate collection system and plastics bailer

    • Assessed medical waste problems

  • 2013 – Implementation/Assessment Trip

    • Continued work on the waste management and medical waste management projects

    • Introduced river hydraulics and aquaponics design concepts to the Community

    • Conducted a physical survey and assessment of the river in preparation for designing a system to accrete sand to create new jobs and income for community members

  • 2014 – Implementation Trip

    • Implemented a small test structure for the River Hydraulics project 

    • Identified the need to protect the natural spring at the Waste Management site

    • Discussed future medical waste incinerator and aquaponics projects

  • 2015 – Implementation Trip

    • Constructed a small medical waste incinerator. One of the landfill workers sorting recycled materials got stuck accidentally by a discarded medical needle and became ill. EWB-CPC provided electrical needle destructors on previous trips.  In 2015 we built a small medical waste incinerator to more safely destroy the needles. 

    • Started an aquaponics demonstration system. The community wished for more local food and produce.  EWB provided aquaponics and aquaculture options on previous trips. In 2015 we build a small demonstration aquaponics system that the community can utilize when they identify their local champion for the project.  

    • Monitored previous projects.  EWB – CPC had provided services to this wonderful community since 2010 and completed the activities requested of us.  Program was closed.