Doug Messenger has a B.S. in Engineering Arts from Michigan State University and is currently working on his M.S. in Environmental Engineering at Michigan Tech. He began his service as a water/sanitation engineer in January, 2002.

Doug lives in Marcala, Honduras, the second largest city in the department of La Paz, and is only a three and a half hour bus ride from the capitol of Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Marcala is more centrally located in the department than the larger departmental capitol city, and serves as a central city for almost 100,000 people, mostly rural farmers from small towns and villages. The city of Marcala itself has about 12,600 habitants.

He currently manages approximately twelve different projects. While he plays a significant role in some of these projects, some of the others are lower priority, smaller, or are headed primarily by other people. The larger projects in which he is most involved include both potable water system design and sewer system design. Most communities that Doug works in have populations between 300 and 500 people.

Research

Technical, Organizational, and Social Challenges of Project Development in Rural Latin America: A Honduran Case Study, Doug Messenger, August, 2004.
Developing a rural infrastructure project in a developing country involves much work beyond the technical aspects of the project. Understanding and knowledge of the community is essential for long-term success of a drinking water system. This report uses the author's personal experience in a Honduran village to provide a case study, illustrating the necessity of collecting social and technical information before embarking on extensive topographic surveys and hydraulic design work. A development agency needs to recognize the implicit power relationship implied in giving aid. Once this unequal balance of power is accepted, the agent should use care and discretion to listen to the community members' wants and needs and to guide them in choices and responsibilities for operation and maintenance of a water system. This is assuming a common goal of better health and improved economic status of the community
Review Abstract (PDF File)
Complete Report (1.6 Mb PDF File)