Location
San Cristóbal Totonicapán, Totonicapán, Guatemala
Community Description
San Cristóbal Totonicapán is a municipality of the department of Totonicapán, located 185 kilometers from Guatemala City by way of the Inter-American Highway. The town is located near Cuatro Caminos, the main intersection where the roads to Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and Huehuetenango meet.
Canton Coxliquel is a small rural community of approximately 200 inhabitants of Mayan descent, located outside the municipality of San Cristóbal Totonicapán. Most community members are weavers, masons, potters, farmers, or housewives. All of the members speak K’iche, the Mayan language of the region, and or Spanish.
The two-classroom school Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Canton Coxliquel serves 35 children, from kindergarten to 6th grade. Both teachers have created health corners equipped with the utensils needed to practice healthy habits, and they review the personal hygiene of their students multiple times during the school week. They have a system in place for the students to wash their hands before eating the school snack and to brush their teeth after.
The school has a total of 7 functioning faucets. There is one faucet inside the kitchen and another outside the bathroom building that tends to have a little water when the rest of the faucets do not. Inside the bathroom, there is a large plastic water tank that is connected to a faucet, and below the faucet is a trash bin filled with water that the students use to flush the toilets.
The school has encountered a number of problems with regard to water availability. Their source of water is a spring, and when water reaches the school, it comes randomly during both the daytime and nighttime. During the rainy season, the school has inconsistent access to water due to broken tubes from natural disasters. During the dry season, water only arrives at the school approximately 2 school days a week due to a general water shortage, but there have been periods without water for as long as a few weeks.
The water tank they have can provide water for a school week. However, it is only connected to the one faucet. In addition, it is not large enough for all the school’s needs, and it often runs out, leaving them without any access to water.
Project Description
This project is to install a second water tank, and connect it to 5 faucets inside the bathrooms. In addition, an outside handwashing station will be made serviceable and secure. A 1,100 L water deposit will be installed in the area above the toilets. Piping from the water source will be installed and valves placed to control the flow of water into and out of the tank.
Five new faucets, which the school has on hand, will be installed at the existing outside handwashing station. A metal security door will be installed to protect the new faucets from theft and abuse.
A knowledgeable, experienced mason will be hired to provide the skilled labor. A parent will provide any needed unskilled labor free of charge to help install the water tank and pipes.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase the materials, including, the tank, PVC pipe, fittings, valves, and metal security door. The materials will be purchased at and transported from a large hardware store outside the community. The funds will also pay for the skilled labor.
Project Impact
35 students and 2 teachers will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Lauren Browne
Comments
This project will ensure that the students have access to water at all times, allowing them to practice good hygiene, such as washing their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.
Lauren previously completed the Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta La Cienaga Hand washing Station – Guatemala and the Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Lazaro Chiguil Elias Handwashing Station Project – Guatemala.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project now has been fully funded through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren Browne of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Lauren and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.