GUATEMALA HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE FEBRUARY 2022
TOTAL IMPACT LIVES IMPACTED 2,467535 LIVES DIRECTLY SUPPORTED VOLUNTEERS
6
VOLUNTEER DAYS
SCHOOLS PROVIDED WITH WASH SOLUTIONS
JOBS COMPLETED
75
SCHOOLmucking IN PROGRESS Photos: (Top) VOLUNTEERS Volunteers and gutting a home; (Left) Tree removal
Current Activities We are delighted to announce our second relief program in Guatemala began at the end January and is due to run until the end of May. After several weeks working closely with the Project Development Team, our staff team in Chisec welcomed the first group of volunteers in the last week of January 2022. During this new program, our goal is to impact six of the most vulnerable schools in Alta Verapaz through the construction of vital Water, Sanitary and Hygiene (WaSH) facilities. Each module will include: 1) Safe, culturally appropriate toilets or latrines for girls and boys 2) Handwashing stations 3) Rain water harvesting 4) Water filtration 5) Community-based trainings
The Need in Alta Verapaz According to an October 2020 report by the Ministry of Education in Guatemala (MINEDUC), 10,000 schools across the country lack proper access to sanitation and potable water. In Alta Verapaz, the problem is particularly acute, with the region presenting the highest number of schools in need of adequate WASH facilities. The impacts of this need are compounded by the the high rates of poverty in the region - with 83% of the population living below the poverty line. Without access to water and sanitation, diseases borne of bacteria and parasites spread easily. This has a direct and devastating impact on children. Exposure to water-borne illness through water from unprotected sources is directly associated with malnutrition and chronic malnutrition (stunting). In Alta Verapaz, almost half of children in the region under five years old are chronically malnourished, impacting their physical and cognitive development, ability to stay in school and their potential to stay healthy and stable throughout their futures. In our second relief program in Guatemala, we are focused on providing the children of Alta Verapaz with safe and reliable access to safe drinking water and hygienic bathroom and hand-washing facilities. We’re working hand-in-hand with communities to equip them with the resources and capacities needed for ongoing water resource management and use in local schools.
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Photos: (Top) Example of a completed hand-washing station in Haibung, Nepal; (Left) Current latrine at Nuevo Eden Rural Elementary School, Chisec, Guatemala
Disaster Profile In November 2020, Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota, both Category 4 storms, devastated communities across Central America. First, Hurricane Eta struck on November 3 and slowly moved across northern Nicaragua and into eastern Honduras, before continuing its path into northeastern Guatemala and the Caribbean. Just 15 miles away from Eta’s landfall, Iota then struck on November 17 and followed a similar path. Both storms led to significant flooding and landslides across the region, impacting millions of people. Alta Verapaz was one of the hardest hit regions in Guatemala. The communities of Chisec are suffering from a severe lack of suitable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) infrastructure, relying on water sources that were compromised by the floods after Eta and Iota.
Our Work All Hands and Hearts launched a remote assessment immediately after the hurricanes in November 2020. Based on our findings and the COVID-19 situation in the region, we transitioned to a ground assessment in Guatemala at the end of January 2021 to explore how we could contribute to the recovery effort. Our first relief program addressed the early-recovery needs of communities impacted by Hurricanes Eta and Iota through restoring community infrastructure in Sesajal, Chisec as well as four water collection facilities in Seraxqen. Our second relief program in Guatemala is focused on constructing vital Water, Sanitary and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure across the six most vulnerable schools in Alta Verapaz.
About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure. Images: Top - current bathroom facilities at El Manantial school. Middle - foundations poured and rebar installed for one of the school’s bathrooms. Bottom - Program Guatemala team enjoying lunch.
Our Partners
We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the eighth year in a row. This year only percent ofarated nonprofits distinction for financial We six have earned 4-star rating byreceived Charity this Navigator for the seventh and yearoperational in a row. This year only efficiency. seven percent of rated nonprofits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.
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