Acatenango municipality: In the mountainous coastal highlands of Guatemala lie 13 small communities of 100-800 families, and five settlements of approximately 25 families, and the small city of Acatenango, population 22,000. Employment is agricultural; seasonal coffee harvest, and daily farm labor in fields owned by others. About 50 individuals serve as guides for tourists hiking the Volcano Acatenango. Average family daily income is $4.50 per day. As in all rural communities in Guatemala, malnutrition affects 75% of the children, caused entirely by diarrhea from bad water, resulting in physical and cognitive stunting and low education which results in low lifetime earning rates. 85% of migrants at the USA/MX border come from areas lacking in water and sanitation hygiene.
Municipal Mayor Corneleo Estrada is focused upon provide adequate, pure water and UNICEF Water and Sanitation Hygiene education, as the first fundamental of economic development.
Nueva Concepcion 95 Families
This community lacks adequate water supply in the 5-month dry season municipality trucks deliver impure water, or pure water for sale from large purification plants in Guatemala City. As in all rural communities in Guatemala, malnutrition affects 75% of the children, caused entirely by diarrhea from bad water, resulting in physical and cognitive stunting & low education and lifetime earning rates. 85% of migrants at the USA/MX border come from areas lacking in water and sanitation hygiene.
Following assessments, the chosen solution is to provide a BSF 200, (bio-sand filtration system for 200 families), which will be located at the school, operated by the OPF Organization Padres de Familia (Parent teacher organization) which will provide pure drinking water for this community and capacity to provide water to neighboring community of La Pampa where 99 families live.
Here the municipality, Los Buenos Vecinos, Elected officials in the community and women of POF all meet for community surveys, governance discussions, and WASH Training schedules for schools and communities.
Project costs: BSF 200 filtration system, for 200 families, is $4200, including WASH training for the community, the school, and the OPF organization. Rainwater collection gutters are $1200, rainwater storage tanks, transportation of sand and gravel, and raw water for filtration during the dry season, are provided by the Municipality.
Shown above is a BSF 25, filter for 25 families and a BSF 1, single family filter. In the past 12 months Los Buenos Vecinos has furnished 14 ea. 25-family filters, 455 single family filters, all of which are testing 98.5-99% pure for bacterial agents, and 70%+ for viral agents. Completion of the purification is with one drop of chlorine in the clean water containers.
Funding: In addition to the municipality contribution, Corvallis MT High School Interact, sponsored by Hamilton Rotary, has provided $2400 for this project and will be sending 11 students and 6 adults on a service trip to Neuva Concepcion in June of 2023.