Water
Don Victoranio
In January we met with Don Victoranio Antonio Guachiac Carrillo from Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan. Don Victoranio teaches the Mayan language K’che and is considered a village elder in Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan (NSCI).
I was making a small donation to an education center in the village and I asked Don Victoranio what were the concerns of the village in broad strokes. He told me about many things but primarily he talked at length about their water supply problems.
I later visited the village and talked with many people there. To a person the water supply is their most pressing concern. Without reliable water the village has health problems, people spend an extraordinary amount of time securing water and there really isn’t enough time or resources to develop the local economy.
Background:
After Hurricane Mitch wiped out their village, the people of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Guatemala moved their village to higher ground. Their new home, Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan (NSCI) is located high in the mountains where it often freezes at night. Locally people call the town “Alaska”. Ask anyone in Guatemala and chances are they have heard of Alaska.
Their new village has some paved roads, and some subsidized new houses. It looks like it should be prosperous, but the water supply in NSCI has never worked. A back up well provides water for about 30 minutes per day. In the dry season the well is dry. I have talked with many people in the village and the water supply is their biggest problem. Lack of water impacts every person in NSCI every day
The existing water infrastructure is relatively new. Most of it works. What needs to be done is to investigate the existing conditions, identify the problems (we have a lot of this done), to design a repair to the system and then to work with the village to install the repairs.
The economic situation in NSCI is in a downward spiral. Water problems usurp time and effort that could otherwise be spent on economic development.
A modest investment of time, engineering talent and materials would significantly improve the quality of life for 4,000 people. This project should be relatively low cost compared to the incredible benefit for the local population.
Photo Credit: John Engler, Peace Corps
