Email

Print

Monica Bodden reporting
It has been six months now since the village of Santa Martha has been without running water. We understand the population of the village is roughly about 700 villagers -162 of that 700 are children who attend the village primary school.

But today the classrooms of Santa Martha Government School were empty - to be precise, only 2 students attended school today. That is because the parents of the community decided to keep their children at home as a sign of protest - until someone addresses their water issues.

Luis Alberto Rodriguez - Villager
"My kids are not coming to school because we have a little problem with water. The water system is not working in our community for 6 months. We have a bad administration for our water system in this village. We had a meeting with the community and we inform them that we have to do something to get water in this community, so that the government can hear us that we really need water. You have people that drive for miles to pick up water in their vehicles every day; they go to the water pumps and at the creek on Maskall road. People are drinking water from the well and from the creek and I think that's not good for their health."

Alejando Hernandez is the principal of Santa Martha Government School for the past five years. When he and his staff arrived to work this morning, they noticed the unusual sight of an empty school compound.

Alejandro Hernandez - Principal, Santa Martha Government School
"It was a surprise for us teachers this morning when we came here ready to work. We were met by some parents who inform me that there would be no classes because they will not send their students to school because there is no water for the past 5-6 months. As a sign of protest they say that they are not sending their children to school."

Hernandez also explains to us how they manage an average day with no water and one hundred and sixty two students.

Alejandro Hernandez - Principal, Santa Martha Government School
"It has been very difficult because water is a basic need; drinking, washing and hygiene. What we have been doing is that we go and ask the neighbors to give us some water from their well. We have seen that is not a very safe practice. We supervise the students because not all the wells are covered. There is always the possibility of an accident; contamination, but we haven't had another choice and the proper authorities have always been informed that the problem of the water supply is very bad."

But while there were no students present at school today, their parents were - they held posters with writings on them - all demanding proper water services.

Villager of Santa Martha
"We have to get water from the vicinity where there are wells, we get water for bath and wash but we have to buy water for drink. We had a meeting and we decide not to send the children until we have water."

Villager of Santa Martha
"I support it because I was the person that started it and I started it in the name of the village and the community, the children of the school because we don't have any water. We will not send our children to school because if there is no water, there are no classes. I am asking the government or the persons in charge to please help us to see that we get the water. They say they put up a two phase at the reservoir to get electricity - they say they are waiting for drums to be put in place, maybe that will be done in another 10 years but otherwise we had two pumps, but they took it from our community and they did not bring it back and we need them to return it. Ask the chairman Mr. Alberto Canton to please return our pumps. It was donated to us by SIF."

Reporter
"Ma'am are you guys paying for your water because I understand it's a $10 fee monthly for your water. Are you guys paying?"

Villager of Santa Martha
"If you were in our community will you pay $10 a month to receive water 4 days in a month with mud? We are willing, we always pay our service because we get it but now we are not having it, so we will not pay. In a month we get maybe 5 days, 1 week dirty water. When you throw it on the ground it is red in color - rusty water."

And with their posters in hand, the community marched to the village chairman's house - to get his support.

Nimrod Ramirez - Village Chairman
"It's been like 6 months since we haven't had water here. I go often to see Mr. Ruben but they say that they are waiting so that BEL put a transformer there so that they can put the electricity because the machine that they had was broken down and they took it to Shipyard and I think it's not going to work. We are waiting still; they say they are going to fix it but nothing."

Monica Bodden
"How long ago was this?"

Nimrod Ramirez - Village Chairman
"It's from November that they took that machine to Shipyard and they haven't fixed it yet."

We understand that the reservoir at Santa Martha holds 15 thousand gallons when it is filled up - enough to support the village for only 3 days.

Albert Canton is the Water Chairman of the village - he told us a permanent solution is on its way.

Alberto Canton - Water Chairman of the Village
"Solution is coming because the government had already promise to put the meter for the reservoir for Santa Martha, that's it. The minister has it in his hands right now. We have been applying for a long time for the meter."

The community plans of keeping their children at home until there is a proper solution for their water issues.