This project will provide a deep water well in Chinaboquil, a rural indigenous village near Chisec, Guatemala. The well and storage tanks will provide reliable, safe water for 130 families, preventing them from having to walk to get water from dirty sources near latrines which are unreliable during the dry season or droughts. Safe water will help reduce water-borne illness, dehydration, and time out of school and could help family income and food security.
Chinaboquil consists of 130 families that currently use water from contaminated hand-dug shallow wells that are often adjacent to latrines or from a river which is polluted from upstream villages and the farm waste, both of which are a long walk from their homes. The current water sources are dirty, contaminated, far from the village, and unreliable during the dry season and droughts. These issues can affect child health and development due to illness and time out of school.
Our solution is to drill a deep water well on a community-owned property before 2025 ends. We performed a geophysical groundwater survey to find the best location to produce a successful, productive well at a depth of between about 50-80 meters. We will provide the village with three 10,000 liter water storage tanks to provide a buffer in case of drought. The well depth will ensure village close access to uncontaminated water year-round and during droughts. We will also provide hygiene training.
Access to a safe, local, reliable water source year-round will reduce the time required to retrieve water and reduce water-borne diseases. Training on handwashing and maintaining the well will also reduce disease. These improvements will ultimately reduce illness-caused stunting and time out of school for children in the village. Long-term impacts could include higher incomes and health outcomes of families, as well as more effective education and healthier children.
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