SILVER SPRING, Md.--In the mountainous, northern department of Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is improving the health of nearly 2,000 residents, through the implementation of a new water and sanitation project, benefiting nine communities in the small municipality of Mozonte.

Through the three-month project, household latrines will be built for low-income families without adequate sanitation, as well as a mini-aqueduct to provide clean water in the community of Los Arados, within the municipality. By the project's completion in early August 2009, a total of 1,677 people will have benefited.

"Before this project was implemented, people had to walk long distances, along rough rocky roads to get water from a well, without knowing if the water was safe to drink or not," said Jeremiah Eppler, planning assistant for ADRA Nicaragua. "This initiative will help to improve the health of all of its families."

ADRA worked with the municipal authorities to identify those who were the most in need of household latrines. Each benefiting family was also trained in latrine construction, maintenance and personal hygiene.

The project is financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the mayor's office of Mozonte, for a total of $104,254.

"Through this intervention, USAID continues to collaborate with, and confide in ADRA's abilities to work for the well-being of rural communities in our country, and has helped the community's dreams to come true," said Carlos Blake, executive director for ADRA Nicaragua.

Robert J. Callahan, United States' Ambassador to Nicaragua and the Mayor of Mozonte, Carlos Lopez, attended the inauguration ceremony to show their support for the project.

ADRA also established potable water and hygiene committees under the direction of community leaders to ensure long-term project sustainability, and provided the committees with training for aqueduct maintenance.

ADRA was first established in Nicaragua in 1988, with the main objective of helping the survivors of Hurricane Joan. Since then, ADRA Nicaragua has implemented Food for Work projects, child survival, school construction, and disaster relief.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.