Guatemala

Water For People has been in Guatemala since 1997. In the years following its first project, more than 100 water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives were implemented throughout the country. In 2007, Water For People–Guatemala developed a strategic plan to work exclusively in the department of El Quiché, where it could maximize existing partnerships and staff time. El Quiché was also selected because of its great need: the department has one of the highest levels of poverty in the country and very low levels of water and sanitation coverage.

Everyone Forever in Guatemala

Everyone Forever is a unique programmatic effort to provide water and sanitation to Everyone in targeted districts and municipalities, Forever. It means these districts and communities never again need another international water agency to address their water challenges. And it provides a model for greater replication, leading to a push for national full water and sanitation coverage. Water For People–Guatemala is focusing its Everyone Forever programming in four municipalities in the department of El Quiché: San Bartolome Jocotenango, San Andrés Sajcabajá, San Antonio Ilotenango, and Santa Cruz del Quiché. These four districts are all located in the Salinas Watershed in the central highlands.

Lasting water and sanitation solutions can only be achieved when local role-players—the private sector, civil society, and local government—are supported. As such, Water For People–Guatemala is deeply involved with key local stakeholders, including local municipal governments, the national Ministries of Health and Education, local nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and universities.

Everyone Forever Regions

• Santa Cruz del Quiché

• The main municipality of the central highlands of El Quiché, it covers 50 square miles with a population of approximately 90,800 within the town of the same name and 82 surrounding villages.

• The Water For People–Guatemala office is located here, as are departmental offices of the national government agencies. 

• The region is defined by deep valleys and volcanic mountains of up to 6,500 feet in elevation.

• Most people in the rural areas are subsistence farmers or provide day labor.

• Approximately 83% of the people of Santa Cruz del Quiché are Maya and speak the indigenous Kiche language. Many also speak Spanish.

• San Bartolomé Jocotenango

• Rural municipality with 13,930 inhabitants in 48 square miles who live in the town of San Bartolomé and 30 surrounding villages.

• Located in the highlands of El Quiché, the communities have elevations ranging from 4,900 to 6,800 feet. 

• Most people are subsistence farmers, producing beans and corn, but some also have livestock.

• Approximately 98% of those living in San Bartolomé are Maya and speak the indigenous Kiché language. 

• San Antonio Ilotenango

• A small but densely populated rural municipality with 23,633 people in 31 square miles who live in the town of San Antonio and 33 surrounding villages.

• In the highlands of El Quiché the average elevation is 6,397 feet.

• Most people are subsistence farmers but many also produce cash crops and women pursue microenterprise in livestock and specialty fowl. Long distances to markets and lack of transportation are challenges.

• Approximately 99% of San Antonians are Maya and speak the indigenous Kiché language.

• San Andrés Sajcabajá

• A remote rural municipality with 23,852 inhabitants dispersed throughout 172 square miles who live in the town of San Andrés and 59 surrounding villages.

• Located in the highlands of the Department of Quiché, elevations of the communities range from 3,280 to 6,561 feet.

• Most people are subsistence farmers, producing primarily corn and beans. A few families also have livestock, and some produce woven-grass crafts. Difficult access and lack of transportation from San Andrés to even the local market in Santa Cruz del Quiché are challenges.

• Alarmingly high child malnutrition rate of 21.1%.

• Approximately 86% are Maya and speak the indigenous Kiché language.

Partners

Water For People believes long-lasting water and sanitation solutions can only be achieved when key local role-players—the private sector, civil society and local governments—are supported and encouraged to understand and act upon their areas of responsibility in support of community water supply and sanitation development. Our Guatemalan partners, besides the municipalities themselves, are the country’s Ministries of Health and Education, the Municipal Promoting Institute, local nongovernmental organizations, private sector, and universities.

Highlight from Work in 2012

Water For People–Guatemala’s SWASH+ work has rightfully gained national and international attention. In 2012, Water For People–Guatemala won an award for “Best Practices for Promoting Health in the School Environment” from the Pan-American Health Organization and World Health Organization in the environmental protection category. Water For People–Guatemala’s hygiene education methodology of creating classroom hygiene corners has been adopted in Honduras and Nicaragua.

Moving Forward: Programming in 2013

In addition to working to increase water and sanitation coverage in the four target municipalities in 2013, Water For People–Guatemala will continue to explore market-based sanitation solutions. With the hiring of a consultant focused on sanitation as a business and the creation of a sustainable sanitation plan, Water For People–Guatemala will have more capacity to explore sanitation as a business options such as facilitating access to loans for sanitation, designing sanitation solutions that can be built at lower cost than current available options, and possibly supporting sanitation businesses that could construct low-cost toilets that meet people’s preferences.

Water For People Initiatives