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Rafael Arriaga Bautista
Environmental projects facilitator for COPRODEDPIY. Based in the indigenous community of Barrio Morazán, Honduras.
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Home sweet-eco-home
In Honduras the indigenous communities, like so many worldwide, rely on the forest for; food, fuel and medicine. Deforestation caused by industrial loggers is threatening that way of life.
Rafael Arriaga Bautista works for COPRODEDPIY. Through the 'eco-house' project they're helping communities adapt to life with less timber and extreme weather.
'The biggest environmental problem the communities are facing is deforestation. There’s no control over the forest. The authorities treat the forest as if it is an enemy. It used to rain all the time, but now it’s dry; that’s because of deforestation.
Rafael Arriaga Bautista works for COPRODEDPIY. Through the 'eco-house' project they're helping communities adapt to life with less timber and extreme weather.
'The biggest environmental problem the communities are facing is deforestation. There’s no control over the forest. The authorities treat the forest as if it is an enemy. It used to rain all the time, but now it’s dry; that’s because of deforestation.
'The deforestation has not been caused by the local people but by industrial loggers. There used to ten huge logging companies working here'
'In 1995 we took to the streets in protest and fought hard to stand against the government. It was hard and dangerous but we had to fight to survive.
At one point, the army took over the municipality. One of our community was killed and after that it difficult to continue the fight. We felt intimidated but united: the indigenous people in the community, we all stuck together. We won and the loggers have taken their machines elsewhere.
Because of the lack of timber and the need to preserve the forest Rafael, working with COPRODEDPIY, have started a project building 'eco-houses'. The houses use less timber and offer much more comfort than the traditional wooden houses.
An eco-house is made with a mixture of clay, sand, lime and cal and families do the building work themselves. A metal compress binds it together and the only thing bought is the cement for the floors, which keeps fleas away.'
The houses involve much less work to build. The old adobe houses were hard work. The earth here is too sandy to build adobe houses so we used to bring earth in from outside. The new ones cost very little to construct, the family pay a small contribution for the cement but most of the materials are found locally. Also the new houses mould to the climate and are much cooler and they keep the chagas away (the Chagas beetle lives in the roof of mud & straw houses and carries the life-threatening chagas disease). They won’t fall down either if we suffer from another hurricane like Mitch.'
At one point, the army took over the municipality. One of our community was killed and after that it difficult to continue the fight. We felt intimidated but united: the indigenous people in the community, we all stuck together. We won and the loggers have taken their machines elsewhere.
Because of the lack of timber and the need to preserve the forest Rafael, working with COPRODEDPIY, have started a project building 'eco-houses'. The houses use less timber and offer much more comfort than the traditional wooden houses.
An eco-house is made with a mixture of clay, sand, lime and cal and families do the building work themselves. A metal compress binds it together and the only thing bought is the cement for the floors, which keeps fleas away.'
The houses involve much less work to build. The old adobe houses were hard work. The earth here is too sandy to build adobe houses so we used to bring earth in from outside. The new ones cost very little to construct, the family pay a small contribution for the cement but most of the materials are found locally. Also the new houses mould to the climate and are much cooler and they keep the chagas away (the Chagas beetle lives in the roof of mud & straw houses and carries the life-threatening chagas disease). They won’t fall down either if we suffer from another hurricane like Mitch.'
The resident's view
Francisco Hernández the oldest person in his village in Yamarangüila, is 95. All his life, Francisco has lived in wooden houses built with trees that used to grow in abundance. But now deforestation means they’ve all but disappeared.
COPRODEDPIY built only 10 houses but the community watched and learnt as they were being built. Soon Francisco’s 9 children, 50 grand-children and 25 great grandchildren will all have one.
'I’m very happy. It’s a new model! It’s great. We didn’t have these before. When I was small we lived in wooden houses with mud holding them up. While I’m still here I’m happy! I’m happy to be alive to see these new houses being built.'
COPRODEDPIY built only 10 houses but the community watched and learnt as they were being built. Soon Francisco’s 9 children, 50 grand-children and 25 great grandchildren will all have one.
'I’m very happy. It’s a new model! It’s great. We didn’t have these before. When I was small we lived in wooden houses with mud holding them up. While I’m still here I’m happy! I’m happy to be alive to see these new houses being built.'
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| Rafael Arriaga Bautista |
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