ABSTRACT
A major part of the rural area of Bolivia and Peru is populated by dispersed communities. These communities are difficult to reach by approaches and technologies normally used in the water sector, due to their dispersion, poor roads and communications, and weak local institutions. Although national and international institutions have put forth much effort in the field of water supply and sanitation during the last few years, coverage figures are still low in Bolivia, especially in rural areas. Some projects succeeded in improving the water supply and sanitation in small towns and villages. In cooperation with the Bolivian mobile school of water and sanitation an approach was developed to reach the dispersed rural communities directly, bypassing the weak local institutions. Good functioning water and sanitation facilities tend to promote the technology, and in the case of schools, promotion of behavioral change frequently seems more successful when directed to the younger generations.
