Project Concern International (PCI)

Project Concern and the International Year of Sanitation
- Katrina Lee
As an intern for Project Concern International, I’ve noticed that many of the topics on this blog deal with predominantly poverty and health issues. A topic that really interested me of late was PCI’s involvement with the UN’s International Year of Sanitation. Backed by the UN’s Millennium Development goals, member nations will report back to the UN on May 2008 to update on their progress in improving areas such as access to water, adequate drainage systems, housing quality, and waste management.

Access to clean water and adequate sanitation for developing communities is a major aspect of PCI’s programmatic focus and is a critical component in improving overall health for families in need. Since 2004, PCI has been implementing in a project called CASCADA, which promotes the creation of regional and national water sanitation systems that work to improve sanitation in some of the poorest areas of Central America. In Nicaragua, CASCADA has helped reorganize the country’s National Water and Sanitation Network and created four additional networks as well as community-based sanitation organizations such as community water boards.

While Project Concern International operates various other programs, I believe that CASCADA is unique in its ability to address sanitation issues at the government level while fully involving the local community. In a greater context, I believe that the International Year of Sanitation is one of the most significant milestones in progressive development. Today, simple issues such as the availability of clean water and waste removal seem far-fetched to many because of the reaches of modernization. It is important to realize that many communities to this day still lack these basic amenities.

We at PCI are committed to providing access to these basic needs, and look forward to seeing increasing progress on this front during 2008, the International Year of Sanitation.