65% if Belize is without safe sanitation.  Limited sanitation progress is being made in San Mateo and around the country.

One of the strategies to combat the poverty problem in Belize is protection and conservation of the environment.

DirectAbundance has been planning a three stage project for the community of San Mateo:

1)  The first stage is the gathering of information on the community.  We have toured the area with wastewater garden experts, spoke with community members and gathered information that will assist in the implimentation of the composting toilet and wastewater garden project.  We had assistance through volunteer groups to map out the area.

2)  The second stage is the education and awareness about their environment and the impact the community has on their environment.  We will be conducting information sessions within the community with a focus on coral reef and mangrove preservation,  and sustainable solutions to deal with sewage discharge. The youth in the area will become leaders in their community and help build a model system.

3) The third stage will be the formation of community members to begin to support others in the area that show an interest in building, maintaining and sustaining a composting toilet and wastewater garden system.  This community group will be active in the second stage, participating in the education and training evenings.  This group will also be active in the problem solving and further planning of the project.

It is our goal this project will create sustainable jobs for the community through planning, building and maintanence of the systems.

It is our hope the wastewater gardens will generate a secondary income to the families through the sales of plants and flowers to local businesses and tourists.