Territory and lack of water access: an educational experience in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Turbo, Antioquia (Colombia)

ABSTRACT

This reflection derives from an educational project focused on raising awareness about some aspects related to the access and management of water in three disadvantaged neighborhoods. The objective is to reflect on the notions of territory build in the context of educational projects in communities inhabiting disadvantaged neighborhoods. The project began with the formation of a group of participants who carried out social mapping of their neighborhoods to identify critical aspects of water and sanitation. Map validation and the paths followed in each sector provided the input to design the workshops, related to access, management, care and the right to water, which were subsequently multiplied in each community. This process allowed us to understand the situations derived from the denial of access to water, discomfort, and tension between illegality and informality as the modes people in these communities have chosen to address their needs, and the relationships they establish with their territory in the midst of huge inequalities. In conclusion, there is a deep relationship between health and territory which is blatant in communities that face critical life conditions. The projects on health education require situated work and to define an interdisciplinary perspective that acknowledges the complexity and interdependence of social and environmental dynamics.

KEYWORDS
Water supply; Drinking water; Health education; Social conditions; Sociocultural territory.