***22 Estelian families have environmentally friendly housing. The designs have a rainwater harvesting system and solar panel
At Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua, we continually reinvent ourselves because we know that the needs of families and homes change. In the second half of the fiscal year 2022, we built seed houses that include a rainwater harvesting system and a solar panel.
“These elements contribute to improving the adaptation of “Eco-friendly homes” housing to climate change. The solar module reduces energy consumption, and economic spending and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint. The rainwater harvesting system allows the use of a natural resource, reduces the consumption of non-renewable sources (drinking water), and contributes to the family economy”, says architect Zulma Espinoza, Housing Solutions Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua.
One of the families served by this project was Nidia, a community teacher who lives in the El Centenario neighborhood of Estelí, a place where drinking water is available from 11 at night to 6 in the morning. “Here we had to stay awake every day to collect water, but now, thanks to God, with this system of houses, half a rain falls and my tank is already full”, she tells us smiling.
Nidia’s monthly income is around C$4,000 (just over 100 dollars), so having a block house with a concrete floor and eco-technology was practically impossible for her. “Imagine a blessing class, I was more than happy with the house and since it has this rainwater and solar panel, it is a great saving for us”, she says.
Adaptation and mitigation to climate change
The 22 houses with eco-technology were built in outlying neighborhoods of Estelí, where the population has drinking water supply problems. “Seeing the needs of the people but also trying to influence, so that families learn about the processes of adaptation and mitigation of climate change, by reducing the carbon footprint. We know that they are small changes but they make a difference”, says the architect Espinoza.
The execution was supported by the Institute for Human Promotion (Inprhu Estelí), an ally of Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua in this municipality. There was also technical advice from the providers of solar panels and water tanks, who taught families the proper use and maintenance that these technologies require.
The participating families also gave an economic contribution and provided unskilled labor for the construction of the houses, demonstrating once again that the owners of a Habitat house are not mere spectators, they participate in the solution of their house.
