Partner Organisation:  REDES  

Project title:                 Investigation into housing and sanitation in rural communities

Start date:                    1st July 2009

Duration:                       3 months

No. of volunteers:         2

A 3-month placement working with a small NGO, to carry out surveys, assessments and then make recommendations on, housing, sanitation and social projects in rural communities in El Salvador. 
 

What work will I be doing?

Volunteers will carry out assessments of a number of communities to identify possible housing and sanitation projects. These will be presented as a report and presentation to REDES. From this it is hoped that the project will REDES will be able to obtain funding for full scale housing and sanitation projects.

It is hoped that the information provided will help REDES assess the success of past projects as well as inform future projects within the communities, and evaluate their approach in implementing the projects.

Who will I be working for?

REDES was founded in 1989 with the aim of facilitating the return and rehabilitation of Salvadorans displaced by the armed conflict of the 80´s and 90´s. Since then it has gone on to expand its work throughout the country, playing a key role after the major earthquake in 2001 to work with communities to redevelop after the disaster.

The mission of the organisaiton is to generate the capacity for self-sufficiency and human development by encouraging beneficiary participation, facilitating processes and technology and nurturing skills.  The Infrastructure department which volunteers will be working with provides poor communities with good housing and sanitation. It also builds public buildings, such as clinics, for communities.  

REDES has received EWB-UK volunteer for a number of years, and also facilitate yearly voluntary construction projects with Imperial College, London.

What skills or experience do I need?

Required:

• University undergraduate or graduate
• Fluency in Spanish (essential)

Desired:

• Experience of working and communicating with other cultures
• Time spent living abroad (preferably in a developing country)
• Basic knowledge of sanitation and structures as well as the concepts of risk management and methods of collating information
• Experience of community participation practices.