Latest update just received from our Manchester, CT Rotarian and Friends Rick & Elin Lawrence on 31 July 2023
It was a pleasure to see Elin and Rick again. As always, Rick provided a very interesting slide show of the villages and villagers. He is in the process of writing his 2023/2024 global grant to continue this work of bringing clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene to the indigenous people of Guatemala. He emphasized that the systems are built and maintained by the villagers - all we provide with our funds are the materials. Aldea, who is our partner there, provides in addition nutritionists, engineers, health and sanitation lessons with nurse practitioners. Rick said that within one year, these systems have resulted in decreased intestinal diseases, decreased childhood malnutrition, decreased eye disease.
In first picture below, Rick and Elin are presenting handmade banners to President Derin. The second picture is Jeff trying to demonstrate how difficult it is to carry a full jug of water on his head. Thankfully, the new water sanitation systems make this trek by women and children to the river and back unnecessary.
