Photo: Marco Julio Rodas Gutierrez (CEO of UAM), Alexy Yannethe Rodas Ruiz (Gender Officer of UAM), and Clara Siersch (horizont3000)
The project aims to alleviate the drinking water shortage in the rural communities of Nimaché, Pajumet, and Saquimilaj in Western Guatemala, improving the health and well-being of 187 families and indirectly involving approximately 9,000 residents.
Involved are 187 families of the three communities Nimaché, Pajumet and Saquimilaj. Among the 1,122 people (6 per family) are members of the Water Committees and Commissions, with whom the project works more closely. Additionally, 350 children and 12 teachers from 4 schools located in the project area are included in activities. Beside, approximately 9,000 inhabitants of the project area are involved indirectly.
Guatemala, with a population of around 17 million, is one of the most unequal countries in Central America, with a Gini coefficient of 48.3. Approximately 70 % of the population lives in poverty, and 30 % in extreme poverty. This project focuses on extremely poor families in the departments of San Marcos and Totonicapán, located in the dry corridor. Climatic variability, subsistence agriculture, and the unsustainable use of natural resources exacerbate the water scarcity problem.In Nimaché, women and children walk over 45 minutes to access water from small wells or streams. Pajumet and Saquimilaj share a 25-year-old gravity-fed water system that is now inadequate due to population growth and reduced water supply. Both systems face contamination and infrastructure issues, worsened by mining, waste, and poor sanitation. The four primary schools in the project area lack tap water for hygiene. Local Water Committees manage the water systems, but women's participation is minimal.