

Rick & Elin Lawrence, with President Alan, visited the Club last Monday evening to present an update of the Guatemala Water, Sanitation & Hygiene projects. We are partners in funding this project, now in its 13th global grant year, along with the 42 other clubs. Rick explained that the La Antigua Rotary Club serves as the Host and our Cooperating Partner, Aldea, is an NGO that has been providing services to the indigenous Mayans since its founding in 1956. They provide overall project coordination in addition to nutritionists, engineers, health and sanitation lessons with nurse practitioners. He said that within one year after completion, these systems we fund have resulted in decreased intestinal diseases and diarrhea, decreased childhood malnutrition, decreased eye and respiratory disease. The last village to which we contributed, Panicuy, has been fully funded and is under construction. He is in the process of writing his 13th global grant for the village of Xecoxol to continue this work of bringing clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene to the indigenous people of Guatemala.
Rick presented a handmade thank you banner from the residents of Tonajuyu to President Alan.


Kathryn and Dora demonstrated a full jug of water and how difficult to carry. The new water sanitation systems make the trek to retrieve water unnecessary for the women and children of the village.

