Chronic childhood malnutrition is a problem all over Guatemala. Almost 50% of children aged 5 and under are malnourished.  In the highland villages of Tecpan, however, the number is as high as 95%.
 
In 2019, Madison South Rotary wrote a Global Grant for a Water and Sanitation Project in two villages in the highlands of Tecpan, Guatemala. We partnered with ABPD (Association Behrhorst Partners for Development), the Antigua RC in Antigua, Guatemala, District 7750 in South Carolina and clubs in Florida and Maine. At the same time, Deb Walters from District 7790 (Maine and Quebec) wrote a Global Grant for Maternal and Child Health for one of the same villages plus one other that had been assessed to need this type of help. The “ask” comes from the village leaders themselves then a detailed assessment is done by ABPD.
    ABPD, a largely indigenous organization, has been in existence for over 25 years.  An essential part of the approach is for the communities and their local development committees (known as COCODES) to form strategic alliances with a range of people including municipalities, national governmental entities and other NGOs working in the area.  ABPD has one major objective: to reduce childhood malnutrition in Mayan communities and the cornerstone of their programs is empowerment.  As stated in one of their documents, “We build the leadership and problem-solving skills of women, men and youth to address both the dietary and environmental root causes of childhood malnutrition.”  They focus on good nutrition during the first 1000 days that includes pregnancy and the first 2 years of a child’s life.  ABPD works with a village for 3 years and their many interventions include:
    • Assisting communities to build potable water, grey water systems
    • Helping families build vented latrines
    • Aiding families to build efficient cookstoves that are smoke free
    • Improving agriculture both in their corn and bean fields and through creating family gardens
    • Providing goats to increase protein in the diet of mothers and young children
    • Training village women as “promoters” who train the village in:
      • Hygiene and sanitation
      • Nutrition
      • Proper breast-feeding and weaning, and
      • Family planning
    • Training that empowers:
      • Village committees
      • Women to actively participate in community and household decision making
      • Youth to become change agents and emerging leaders in their community, and
      • Men to engage with long-term improvements to the health and well-being of the community
    ABPD’s track record has been amazing and the sustainability of projects in villages speaks to their success.
     
    We are finally making progress on our Global Grant in Pavit and Xenimaquin.   It was stalled for some time due to the COVID-19 
    Below is a progress report and photos from the Executive Director as well as project manager for ABPD Francisco (Paco) Enriquez.  Villagers participate in all the work that is done. An article in our March addition of the district newsletter showed our team visit to the projects this past January and hands-on work of building stoves for Mayan families (one of Deb’s grants).
     
    GLOBAL GRANT 2092320
    WATER AND SANITATION IN GUATEMALAN VILLAGES PAVIT AND XENIMAQUIN
     
    Activities completed in Xenimaquin:
    1. Cleaning and clearing of the areas where the water sources are located.
    2. Construction materials delivery to the community.
    3. Water sources digging and expansion. 
    4. Construction of the water collection system.
    5. Construction of the water flow joiner box. 
    6. Conduction line trenches digging.
    7. Construction of the aerial pipeline.
    8. Digging of the area where the distribution tank will be built. 
    Activities completed in Pavit:
    1. Cleaning and clearing of the areas where the water sources are located.
    2. Construction materials delivery to the community.
    3. Water sources digging and expansion. 
    4. Construction of the water collection system.
    5. Construction of the water flow joiner box.