By Fernando Quezada | Grant Manager
Dear GlobalGiving Community,
We are deeply grateful to share an update on our Every Drop Counts campaign, which launched in September 2025. Thanks to the generosity of individual donors and companies. Every contribution is making a meaningful difference for families in vulnerable communities in Guatemala.
In San Juan Chamelco, Alta Verapaz, access to safe drinking water is not guaranteed—especially for families welcoming a new child. For mothers, every glass of water can be a source of worry during one of the most critical stages of life: the first 1,000 days, when a child’s health and development are most vulnerable.
María’s Story
When María was pregnant, water was a daily concern. In her home, located in the community of San Marcos, San Juan Chamelco, boiling water was part of her routine. After her baby was born, fear of waterborne diseases pushed her to buy purified water—a constant expense that strained the family’s finances at a time when every resource mattered for her child’s well-being.
Everything changed when María received a household water filter through our integrated impact strategy in San Juan Chamelco supporting nutrition, hygiene, healthy practices. Today, her family drinks safe water directly from the filter. She no longer needs to boil water or purchase bottled water. There is greater peace of mind in her home, fewer concerns about illness, and more resources available to invest in her baby’s health, nutrition, and development.
What may seem like a simple solution—clean water every day—has become a powerful tool to protect her child’s future.
Stories like María’s are possible because of supporters like you. In San Juan Chamelco alone, we have already delivered more than 350 water filters, as part of a broader effort that has reached over 3,000 families in vulnerable communities. Each filter protects a family for years and strengthens everything surrounding the first 1,000 days of life: better nutrient absorption, fewer preventable diseases, and greater opportunities for children to grow healthy and strong.
Yet, the need remains urgent. Many families are still waiting for access to safe water.
Your support continues to be the drop that makes change possible. Together, we are turning clean water into health, dignity, and hope for the next generation.
Thank you for believing in this work and for standing with families in Guatemala.
With gratitude,
The Fondo Unido de Guatemala (United Way Guatemala) Team
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