In October, Hurricane Stan hit Guatemala, causing massive mudslides and floods. At least 3.5 million were affected and over 100,000 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving many homeless.
ISMU is working on a reconstruction plan in the communities of El Jabalí, El Cajón, and Rancho Fortaleza, where all the homes were lost and 192 families displaced. People here make their living as laborers on the coastal sugar plantations, which have notoriously low pay and poor labor conditions. Many families were living in straw huts in the low areas next to the plantations and lost everything to the floods. Yet they have received no aid from federal agencies or the International Red Cross.
The project will buy materials to build a durable home for each family. A plot of land will be assigned to each family and the local government will pay to transport the materials. The families will supply the labor, under technical supervision.
Families have permanent, safe homes, offering better protection against hurricanes. Creates a model for collaboration among community organizations, international donors, local government and families to offer safe, durable homes for thousands.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
