IDEX’s three Guatemalan partners have joined forces to help rural communities rebuild after storm Agatha.  Though the storm’s uninterrupted torrential rains brought devastation to many in 2010, it is evident it will take more time to heal and rebuild.

Food security remains fragile and some families are still waiting for housing construction and repair.  Most families affected by the storm, realize that finding stable land for rebuilding has posed a serious problem. 

Each year in Guatemala, hurricanes and heavy rains over saturate mountainous terrain causing landslides that in turn destroy the land. Thousands of Guatemalans living in mountainous regions are exposed to these violent storms leaving them vulnerable to poverty.

In the face of devastation, ISMU, a Guatemalan partner of IDEX and pioneers in the field of risk and disaster reduction has played a major role during storm Agatha helping to evacuate families from affected areas. ISMU has also provided assistance to organizations part of the Coordinadoras Locales para la Reduccion de Riesgo a Desastres (COLRED) that coordinate their effort with governmental authorities to reduce such risks and future disasters.  Another partner of IDEX, APROSADSE, is working in collaboration with ISMU; together they are focusing their efforts towards repairing housing and infrastructure and have created community services such as schools and childcare centers. They have also provided bedding, kitchen supplies, bags of staple foods, and house kits (roofing sheets, awnings, studs, etc.) for many families who have been affected by the storm.

Because much of Guatemala experiences prevailing weather conditions, such hardships and obstacles require ingenuity, resilience, and humility. 

Please, help demonstrate your support during this time by making a contribution!  We thank you in advance for caring about the people of Guatemala and for your solidarity during this difficult moment of rebuilding hope for so many!

In October, 2010 IDEX Program Officer, Katharine Zavala traveled to Guatemala. She witnessed first-hand the effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. Below is an excerpt. You can read her full blog post here.

Tecun Uman in Chinautla, Guatemala:
"The storm destroyed 40 houses and even three months after the storm hit, the effects are still devastating. Just recently, three children were killed after their house collapsed. Because the road was blocked, it was too hard to reach them in time.

In the area near the river, where the storm destroyed many homes, we saw how precarious the cliffs were. At the short time we where there, we saw a large piece of land crumble down into the river. The cliff we were standing on didn’t look like it would hold much longer. Many of the houses have been evacuated – still, people cross here all the time. In fact, this is the path that children use daily to get to school."

Donations from donors have helped repair shelters, schools and homes, allowing people in towns like Tecun to continue on with their lives, altered by the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. In communities like Tecun, poverty and lack of resources can mean an inability to recover as a community from natural disasters. With IDEX partners working together we can mitigate the long-term effects of natural disasters and help rebuild communities in Guatemala.

Your donations make a real impact. Thank you!