Guatemala

Community Description
San Francisco La Unión is a municipality of 7,286 inhabitants located just north of Olintepeque in the department of Quetzaltenango in the Western Highlands. The community is largely made up of indigenous Guatemalans and K’iche’ is commonly spoken, although nearly everyone also speaks Spanish.

The community is in the mountains at an altitude of 2,770 meters, so the climate is fairly cold throughout the year. The community has not had sufficient resources to provide water at all times to its citizens, and water is available in homes and schools only infrequently.

The Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta Justo Rufino Barrios is located in the center of town and serves the entire community.

There is a critical water problem at the school, as water only runs one day every week or two. Thus there is a need for a water storage capability to serve the needs of the school.

In addition, the school does not have facilities to allow the students to practice proper hygiene.

Project Description
This project is to build a cistern at the school for water storage, and a handwashing station for use of the students.

The underground cistern will be 2 meters wide by 3 meters long by 2 meters tall. It will provide water to the already existing bathrooms and the new handwashing station.

The handwashing station will be built with ten faucets for students to use in the practice of healthy habits (washing hands and brushing teeth).

The director planned the entire project himself, meeting with construction workers, the mayor and the parents of students.

The mayor has already paid for all of the supplies, and the parents of students are paying half of the labor costs. Project funds will be used to pay the remaining labor costs.

Project Impact
The project will directly affect the 292 students and the 16 teachers of the school. The families of the students will be indirectly affected due to better hygiene practices of the students in the school.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Christine Dutko

Comments
This is a model project, in that it was designed and developed locally, has widespread community and governmental support, and the majority of the resources have already been gathered. These factors make it easy for us to provide the remainder, so that the project can be implemented at once.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$275.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$225.00

Community Description
The people of Paraxaj (pronounced “Para-shock”) live without water in one-room abodes with dirt floors, made of scrap metal. They cook over open fires inside the home. They have no toilets, no showers, and no viable means to change their circumstances.

There are approximately 500 families that live in the community. The people speak the Mayan language Kaqchikel.

Defecation takes place in the open or in the nearby river. This causes many related health problems.

Project Description
This project is to build 25 latrines in the community.

Materials, instruction, and technical support will be provided to each family. Under the supervision of an experienced local mason, each family will proceed to construct its own latrine.

Each of the 25 families has participated in a program whereby they have been taught a range of health-related topics spanning from the different ways to purify water to the importance of keeping the environment clean. The use, construction, and maintenance of latrines are subjects that have also been taught.

The Asociacion Civil para el Desarrollo Integral de Guatemala is an integral part of the project. The group will act to ensure the continued use of the latrines.

Project Impact
144 people will directly benefit from the project

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Ryan Walsh

Comments
This project creates sustainable results because it was originated by the community and is being carried out by the participants. It incorporates the necessary training regarding the public health aspects of using the latrines, in addition to the skills needed to construct and maintain them.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Ryan Walsh of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Ryan and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Guatemala.

Community Description
This indigenous Mayan community inhabits a small rural mountainside village in the north of the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The roughly one thousand inhabitants, comprising some one hundred families, are among the poorest people in the municipality and the region.

Homes are simple, usually made of wood, with dirt floors and open cooking fires. There is no sanitary infrastructure or electricity in the village, and recently the potable water system has been failing. The sole occupations of the community members are in domestic and agricultural labors.

Currently, a natural spring on community land higher up the mountainside supplies the entirety of the water for the community. A thorough system of holding tanks and supply pipes provide potable water for every house in the village.

During the past several months, the supply of water from the spring has been insufficient. Regularly, the spring becomes dry, and days on end pass without running water.

Project Description
The community has located another spring, near the existing spring, on municipal land. Permission has been granted from the local government for the use of this water as the supply of the village's water system.

This project is the construction of a spring box at the new spring site, to allow for the collection of the water from the spring. In addition, tubing will be run to the main holding tank of the existing system.

The existing holding tank is on top of the mountain above the village, an hour-and-a-half hike and some 300 meters up. It is made of steel-reinforced cement and holds approximately 10,000 liters. Some 12-15 smaller tanks exist below the main tank in and around the village and serve for storage and distribution. Water will flow from the new spring to the main holding tank. From there it will flow by gravity to the lower distribution tanks.

Project funds will be used for the purchase of construction materials (cement, cement blocks, steel rebar, water pipe), and for transportation of materials to the village.

A local community organization has been coordinating the project, and will be responsible for the maintenance of the water system.

Community members will contribute the manual labor for the construction of the project and will carry the materials up the mountain. The community will also collect and carry sand to be used in the cement.

A water conservation and cleanliness orientation meeting will be held in the community in conjunction with the completion of the new system.

Project Impact
This water project will serve all homes and inhabitants of the village, a total of 1000 people.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Nicholas Jurich

Comments
This is an urgent project to assist a community in dire need. Its immediate implementation is necessary for the survival of the community.

Dollar Amount of Project
$450.00

Donations Collected to Date
$450.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Hope You Like It, "In Honor of Faith, Hope, and Love."

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Nicholas Jurich of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Nicholas and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Guatemala.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Community Description
The Hamlet Chuipoj, municipality of Santa María Visitación, department of Sololá, is located to the south of its municipality and to the west of its department. It is 4 kilometers from its municipality, 44 km from the capital department, and 164 km from the capital city.

The climate is cold. The 85 people living in the community are indigenous, and speak K’iche’ and Spanish.

This community has been affected by the war conflict during the 1980s, at which time there were many deaths, and migration to other areas.

16 years ago, the community reincorporated. The Official Co-Ed Rural School of the Hamlet Chuipoj, which had been closed from 1980 to 1994, was reopened.

The current latrines at the school are positioned such that there can be contamination of the food prepared by mothers for the school snack. Unsanitary conditions cause respiratory and diarrhea infections in the children.

The community and the school have been trying to raise funds to alleviate the unhealthful condition of the latrines for over 2 years.

Project Description
This project is to build 3 flushable toilets and a septic tank for the school.

The project will utilize the structure of the existing latrines, resulting in a large cost savings.

The improvements and the accompanying health education program will qualify the school for recognition under the U.S. Peace Corps Healthy Schools program.

Project funds will be used to purchase materials.

Contributions have been obtained from the municipality, community, local organizations, teachers, and students.

Project Impact
This project will benefit 85 people, consisting of the 35 students and the remainder of the community with access to the facility.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Rosie Conklin

Comments
This is a basic project that will provide much-needed facilities for the use of the school. The improved sanitation will yield a health benefit, and serve as a focal point for hygiene training.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$206.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$294.00