Considering Life Without Water in Guatemala

Written by Geno Teofilo, Special to RedCross.org

Colonia Mitch, Guatemala, March 22, 2001 —  Children turned to look as they heard our pickup truck coming up the road toward this small community in eastern Guatemala. Instantly their faces brightened as they realized who we were.

"Cruz Roja Americana!" (American Red Cross!) They yelled as they took off running after us through the heavy dust kicked up by the pickup.

"Everybody loves the people who bring water," said Morgan Perkins, American Red Cross water and sanitation delegate.

The community is called Colonia Mitch. It was built two years ago for victims of the flooding caused by its namesake, Hurricane Mitch. More than 800 people here are the beneficiaries of a water project created jointly by the American Red Cross, the Guatemalan Red Cross and the local community.

In the United States, water is almost always plentiful, so it's difficult to imagine life without it. But as the people of south Florida who survived Hurricane Andrew can well explain, one can't really appreciate water until it's unavailable.

That situation can easily be seen here. Colonia Mitch is an arid, dusty place covered with scrub brush and cactus. Once this land was donated to the disaster victims, their small homes were built through a combination of donations by the Guatemalan government and other aid groups.

But there was still no water.

For months, people had to walk two miles just to get to a water source, and couldn't bring enough back to supply their daily needs. As a result, clothes went unwashed. Children walked around with dirt covered faces. Sanitation was poor.

Enter the American Red Cross and Morgan Perkins. He has been with this program from the beginning. Having worked earlier with the Peace Corps, Morgan has worked on similar projects in Honduras, and has been working on water and latrine projects in Guatemala for almost two years.

The American Red Cross has completed or is supporting water and sanitation projects in several dozen communities throughout Guatemala. These projects occur in all kinds of terrain such as mountains, valleys, mangrove swamps and the Pacific coast. Some of these water systems were damaged by Mitch. Others are brand new projects bringing water and latrines where they never had any before. Each location presents its own challenges. Some communities are inaccessible to four-wheel drive vehicles, and the only way in is on foot.

An interesting point about these projects is that the American Red Cross is not just walking in and doing all the work. As Morgan puts it, "To have a sustainable project you have involve the community." Before construction even begins, the Red Cross requires the formation of a local water board to oversee the community's responsibilities for the project. Training for the board is provided by the Red Cross.

Additionally, each family in the community is required to have someone work more than 400 hours on the project. This can involve clearing land, or even digging the ditches where the plastic water pipes will be laid. This keeps costs down, invests each family in their own water system and helps to ensure that the community will have the knowledge and the will to maintain the water system long after the American Red Cross leaves.

Looking at the history of relief projects, this makes good sense. Many well- meaning projects brought by western powers to developing countries in the past have had the best intentions, but fell apart after the builders departed for their home countries. This is especially true when projects involve technology. When developing countries receive new projects, (whether it be water, transportation or computers) if the local communities don't have the knowledge or the will to maintain these projects there will be short-term benefits — but the projects are not likely to last in the long run.

That scenario will never unfold here. In Colonia Mitch people know a great deal about their water system, and the process they've learned through building this system can be used to plan future community projects.

How appreciative is the community here? It is best said by Rosalio Carias, president of the Colonia Mitch water board. "Nobody thought this would ever come to pass. God put his hands over the good people to bring the water. Look at the children, they're smiling, happy. Thanks to all of you. It's a reality."