Cuchumuela, Bolivia
Welcome to Cuchumuela
Home to over 200 families, this district in the mountains of Bolivia is full of natural and cultural treasures. Below the blue skies stretching overhead, the streets are full of colorful skirts, long braids, wide-brimmed hats, and smiles. One reason people are smiling today – safe water.
Watch Cuchumuela: A Small Town with a Big Dream to meet the community and see their journey toward water and sanitation access – for Everyone Forever.
This video is generously sponsored by our partner Neptune Technology Group.
This progress in Bolivia is thanks to so many – partners, governments, local leaders, and you.
Thanks to your support, we can reach places like Cuchumuela with safe water and dignified sanitation. Give today to support rural communities' water, sanitation, and hygiene access.
In The Land of Mushrooms
In Cuchumuela, most people are farmers with 60% of the agricultural production focused on mushrooms.
Irrigation and drinking water needs put pressure on the few springs and rivers in the area. In 2010, the Municipal Development Plan showed that 61% of the population did not have drinking water systems.¹ And with water levels declining in the past decade, this pressure is becoming more and more pronounced. Water scarcity limits a population's productivity, economic development, and health.
Progress toward Everyone Forever
Water For People has spent years – not days – working in the community of Cuchumuela. This long-term partnership included designing piped systems, developing plans to protect water sources, training committees around operation and maintenance, and supporting access to sanitation markets to promote dignified and healthy bathrooms. Today we celebrate a cumulation of progress as every family, health clinic, and school enjoys reliable water and sanitation services. Services that can last for generations to come.
The Protagonists of their own Story
We are proud of Cuchumuela and the people who call this district home: they are the protagonists of their success story.
Through plans with the municipal government, collaboration with organizations, and an unwavering commitment to their community, Cuchumuela has achieved remarkable success.
Discover More Impact in Bolivia
Inés, a Community Force
Growing up in rural Bolivia, Inés experienced the tension between her dreams for the future and the stark reality around her. "We had to limit our water use since it needed to last the whole month – we reused as much as possible. And because we didn’t have toilets, we would walk to look for remote places in the mountains and hills."
It’s About Transforming Communities
"We had two springs we used for water, but they have dried up. The mayor brought water in a cistern once a week, but it was not enough. To wash clothes, we went to the river, but it was far away."
A Drop of Determination
Dry and rough to the touch, Don Guillermo’s hands tell stories of sacrifice, hard work, and pride. With a shovel gripped tightly, and a smile across his face, the 66-year-old is determined to build his family a toilet.
A Sanitation
Revolution
Pablo Terceros Vargas is sparking a sanitation revolution in his rural community in Bolivia. Pablo has lived in the district of Tiraque, Bolivia for his entire life. For the first 32 years of his life, he didn’t have a bathroom.
Change Starts
at Schools
High in the mountains of Bolivia, one school has made huge changes in water, hygiene, and sanitation.
Students are Part of the Solution
Both Maribel and David are dreaming of going to university next year – Maribel wants to be a nurse or social worker, and David plans to study mechanics. One of the reasons they are able to dream about heading off to university is because they go to a school that has safe water and sanitation. They never had to miss school due to fetching water or being sick from water-borne diseases.
Meet Jorge
When Jorge Arnez gets an idea in his head, nothing can stop him. A silver-haired farmer, Jorge talks a mile a minute. His passion and energy for taking care of his tiny community of Saca Sirca in the district of San Benito, Bolivia is clear.
The Town
of Thagoni
Está muy lejos, they tell us. Thagoni is very far.
Thagoni is so far away, so deep in the mountains, and so spread out that national programs for water access never would have reached it. Just the cost to get a rig up there to drill a well would be prohibitive.
WHAT'S NEXT?
It's time to celebrate and share what we've learned with the world – but there's no time to lose! With fewer than 10 years left to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All, Water For People is committed to driving exponential progress toward lasting water, sanitation, and hygiene access.
Learn more about Destination 2030 and join us by making a gift to support this critical, life-changing work.
¹ Villa G. Vilarroel, Plan de Desarrollo Municipal. Asociación de Municipios de Cochabamba, AMDECO (2010)