With no need for iron bars for reinforcement, or cement, women in the village of Campo Cielo, in the outskirts of the Honduran capital, began four months ago to build ecological houses with sand, soil and plastic bottles — and they are proud of what they have accomplished. The group, Mujeres Unidas (Women United), decided to use environmentally friendly techniques, although in the beginning “the idea seemed crazy,” Bessy Lara said as she showed Tierramérica her organization's new office.

“All the women in the group work in collecting non-returnable plastic containers and filling them with soil or sand,” to build houses and water tanks with the capacity of around 25 barrels, she said.

“People believe they can only live in houses of cement and brick, but that's not the case,” said Andreas Froese, a consultant with the Irish mission of the Catholic Church (TROCAIRE), which is backing the women's initiative.