AHAH Monthly Program Update - Guatemala (March 2022) - English

GUATEMALA HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE MARCH 2022

TOTAL IMPACT 68

VOLUNTEERS LIVES IMPACTED

2,467

2,156 VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEER DAYS

Current Activities Despite facing challenges arising from the continued global COVID-19 pandemic, huge progress has been made at schools Nuevo Eden, El Manantial and Monja Blanca. Our top priority is the health, safety and well-being of people living in the communities we serve, as well as volunteers, staff and partners. As the pandemic continues to impact life in Guatemala, and the rest of the globe, we continue to implement new and existing operational standards to keep operations safe.

At Nuevo Eden School, the concrete footings for the new latrine block and water collection system have been poured. The team are preparing the grade LIVES IMPACTED beam pour of the new latrine block to get one step closer to the completion JOBS COMPLETED of the foundations. At El Manantial and Monja Blanca, the latrine blocks are one step further along with the grade beam already poured and the 81 SCHOOL IN PROGRESS plumbing installed! The team is now preparing to pour the concrete slab to Photos: (Top) Volunteers mucking FAMILIES GIVEN ACCESS TO complete the foundations. and gutting aWATER home; (Left) Tree

VOLUNTEER DAYS

2,467

removal

World Water Day March 22nd marks World Water Day, celebrating water and raising awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to clean water.

In the majority indigenious Q’eqchi’ region of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, only a mere 19% of the population has access to improved water and sanitation services. Working with the communities of Alta Verapaz and local partners, we’re setting out to change this statistic.

Join us on March 22nd for World Water Day. Together, we can make the right to water and sanitation a reality in Guatemala.

allhandsandhearts.org

Photos: (Top) Volunteers rebar tying in preparation for the grade beam pour; (Left) Staff members Bea and Cesar working with the community collecting information on their unique needs

Disaster Profile In November 2020, Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota, both Category 4 storms, devastated communities across Central America. First, Hurricane Eta struck on November 3 and slowly moved across northern Nicaragua and into eastern Honduras, before continuing its path into northeastern Guatemala and the Caribbean. Just 15 miles away from Eta’s landfall, Iota then struck on November 17 and followed a similar path. Both storms led to significant flooding and landslides across the region, impacting millions of people. Alta Verapaz was one of the hardest hit regions in Guatemala. The communities of Chisec are suffering from a severe lack of suitable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) infrastructure, relying on water sources that were compromised by the floods after Eta and Iota.

Our Work All Hands and Hearts launched a remote assessment immediately after the hurricanes in November 2020. Based on our findings and the COVID-19 situation in the region, we transitioned to a ground assessment in Guatemala at the end of January 2021 to explore how we could contribute to the recovery effort. Our first relief program addressed the early-recovery needs of communities impacted by Hurricanes Eta and Iota through restoring community infrastructure in Sesajal, Chisec as well as four water collection facilities in Seraxqen. Our second relief program in Guatemala is focused on constructing vital Water, Sanitary and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure across the six most vulnerable schools in Alta Verapaz.

About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

Photos (Top) Volunteers preparing the formwork for the beam pour; (Middle) Staff members meeting with the Parents Committee of Monja Blanca School;.(Bottom) Staff members Natalija, Cesar and Grant on a school visit

Our Partners

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the eighth year in a row. This year only percent ofarated nonprofits distinction for financial We six have earned 4-star rating byreceived Charity this Navigator for the seventh and yearoperational in a row. This year only efficiency. seven percent of rated nonprofits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

info@allhandsandhearts.org