GlobeMed at Cornell partners with AMMID, Asociacion Maya-Mam de Investigacion y Desarollo, to collaboratively create and implement sustainable projects to improve the health of the Maya-Mam of San Marcos, Guatemala.
Access to clean water is a serious issues facing many people in Guatemala - in 2002, only 17% of rural communities had access to water sanitation methods provided by UNICEF. More than 40% of rural families do not have access to water in their own homes. Water-borne diseases are very prevalent, and 90% of diarrheal deaths are in children under five. Increased water sanitation has the potential to reduce the prevalence of these diseases by at least 50%.
This project will provide a total of 400 water filters over two years to rural communities in the San Marcos region of Guatemala. This fundraising page is for 180 water filters to be installed this year. These sustainable filters will provide families with access to clean water in their homes and communities for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Training will be provided to "promotoras", community leaders who will be instructed in the care and maintenance of the filters to ensure long-term use.
Long term, these filters will continue to provide a source of clean water for families in these communities. It will also empower women who are trained in the use and care of these filters to be responsible for the health of their family and community. This project will also establish trust between Globemed at Cornell and the people from these communities for continued success of our future collaborative projects in this region.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
