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Poverty in Guatemala

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Ayuda para el Altiplano en GuatemalaBiosand Water Filter and Improved Stove Project

*Quiacquix~150 km

from capital

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Qualifications

Bill:•Biosand filter and Sanitation courses from CAWST•Moderate capability in Spanish, including 6 weeks immersion classes in Guatemala

Alan:•Biosand filter course from CAWST

And 4 new Canadian partners who are native Spanish speakers!!

Alan Sitter

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UN Millennium Development Goals

MDG #7 Environmental SustainabilityTarget 3: To cut in half by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

1.1 billion people must walk >1 Km to get water – often

of questionable quality

Household water treatment cuts the primary transmission route for diarrheal disease and

can pay back up to $60 for every $1 invested.

1 child dies every 20 seconds from diarrheal disease

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Quality of Life in Guatemala

CIA World Fact Book 2009 unless noted otherwise

Guatemala Canada

UN HDI (2008) Rank 121 Rank 3

Life Expectancy 70.3 years 81.2 years

Infant Mortality 27.8 5.0

Literacy Rate 69.1% 99%

Expected School Years

10(6 in rural areas)

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GDP per capita(2008 est.)

$5,200 $39,300

Poverty Rate 56.2% 10.8% (LICO)

The Maya who comprise 40% or more of the population are far below the Guatemalan averages.

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Water Issues in Guatemala

Waste Water Status•Of 331 municipalities in Guatemala, only 24 have waste water treatment plants; of those most do not function properly•Essentially all of Guatemala City’s effluent goes untreated into Lago Amatitlán and Rio Motagua (140 MMm3/yr)

Supply & Contamination•54.8% of the population do not have access to piped water•95% of surface sources are contaminated•Water rights and transit rights for collection lines can be prohibitively expensive (e.g US$125,000 in Lemoa)•Disputes over access to scarce water have led to violent confrontations•Water resources are threatened by high rates of deforestation in some areas

Rio Salamá

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Common Rural Poverty Conditions

•Minimal cash income/no regular work•Minimal pit latrines if anything•Board, adobe or concrete block house•Carrying wood/water from source•Cooking over an open fire on a dirt floor•Subsistence farming of corn and beans•Poor connection to markets•Frequently off electricity grid•Education limited to maximum 6 grades

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Leading Causes of Sickness in Guatemala

Five principal causes of sickness: data from Ahmed et al, 2005: Environmental Health and Traditional Fuel Use in Guatemala

World Bank

29.1Anemia

21.6Pneumonia

44.5Intestinal parasites

45.1Acute diarrhea

118.7Acute respiratory infection

Year 2000(per 1,000)

Cause

Mostly due to open cooking

fires

Mostly due to contaminated

water

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Appropriate Technology - Filters

Biosand filters•Concrete version can have unlimited life with very minimal maintenance•Requires local workshop and material supply, moderate construction skills•Produces safe water without odour, turbidity or colour•No ongoing operating costs

•Can be >95% effective in removing common biological contaminants

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Appropriate Technology - Filters

Biosand concrete filters – promoted by CAWST•This diagram shows the functional elements of the biosand filter•The filter works by a) mechanical filtration and adsorption, b) predation of microbes in the biolayer, c) oxygen starvation in the sand zone, and d) natural death of the microbes outside their normal environment

Outlet Pipe – 6 mm (¼”) inner diameter (I.D.)

Diffuser Plate

Filter Lid

Standing Water

Biolayer

Sand Zone

Gravel Zone

Inlet Reservoir

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Appropriate Technology - Stoves

Improved rocket-box stoves e.g. Ecoplancha•Concrete, purchased in-country, costs less ~ $150 installed•Chimney is a critical part, to remove smoke from the home•Limited skills necessary for installation team; no cement•Extremely efficient; reduces fuel cost and effort; less air pollution•Health and safety benefits with no smoke and open flames

Worst case – open fire on floor inside the home

This stove can save 1 ton of CO2 per

year!

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What We Accomplished

From smoky open fire to a working

height, smoke-free & fuel efficient stove

55 TIMES(~150 mothers and children are prime

beneficiaries)

From untreated water, sometimes

boiled, to safe filtered water

46 TIMES(273 family members

benefit)

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Quiacquix – The Target Community

Quiacquix has about 250 families scattered over a large area, without a recognizable village centre

Smoke from wood fires

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Quetzaltenango2200 m

Totonicapán

Quiacquix2700 m

The Region of Totonicapán

Pan American

Hwy

Travel Time:25 minutes by minibus, Quiacquix to Totonicapán (pop. 20,000)

50 minutes by chicken bus, Totonicapán to Quetzaltenango (pop. 160,000)

5 km

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Future Activities

There are more than 100 families in Quiacquix without

filters. Probably more than 100 families have no stove or a

poorly functioning one.

Surrounding communities of Vasquez and Chipuac have significant needs as well.

Communities on the way to Toto such as Nimasec could be

targets for projects as well.

Note that the amount of productive land per family is

insufficient to meet their needs for corn and beans.

Pan American

Hwy

Chaquiral

Pa O

jer K

’aib

’al

Paq

uiac

quix

Chu

ipac

haj

Vásquez

Chípuac

Schools

School

Boundary of

Quiacquix 20 minutes to Totonicapán,

department capital

N0.5 km

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Future Activities

There is much more to do, in this community of Quiacquix and immediately surrounding ones. For example, this group of more than

100 widows and abandoned mothers is a possible target for our projects. Most would not be able to pay anything for the stoves or

filters.

In 2011, we might install a few filters and stoves in another community as a test, to

develop interest in the products for the future. This community of Santo Domingo

Sacatepéquez is a possible target. It is about 3 hours from Quiacquix.

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Managing the Project

Local knowledge and operating skills are under control

•We have a proven capable partner in Asociación AJPU•We have proven we can function in Spanish sufficiently for this project•Local labour has proven to be very capable and energetic•We have received some non-monetary help and advice from the Rotary Club of Quetzaltenango•Transferring and managing funds has proven to be problem free•Most necessary materials are easily available in nearby Totonicapán•The supplier of stoves is efficient in terms of delivery and service•We have located a longer term source for media sand for filters•We will own two Version 10 filter molds

•We completed our first project on time and under budget!

Donations = $11,990 Net Expenses ~ $10,893

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Project Cost – 50 Filters & 50 Stoves

ITEM CDN$

Filter construction, installation, WQT1 $2,987

Stove purchase/installation $6,842

Training, Health Promotion, Monitoring $750

Follow-up to 2010 project $237

Overhead $132

Miscellaneous (5%) $531

Total Gross Costs $11,479

Co-payment by recipients (10%)2 ($1,148)

Grand Total Net Costs $10,331

These costs are probably accurate within <10%,

based on results of our first project.

These costs equate to $79 per filter and $150

per stove.

Note: Canadian participants will pay all their own

costs.

1 Water Quality Testing2 The co-payment ratio and number of free filters and stoves remains to be decided. All co-payment funds will be carried over to the start of the next project year.

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Additional Community Needs

Quiacquix, and other nearby communities, could benefit from assistance with:

1) Starting a micro-business based on filters (we will be working on this)2) Improvements to the water source ($5000 up to $90,000?)3) Replacement of an adobe school building ($100,000??)4) School supplies5) Improved latrines (dry composting, >$500 per unit)6) School scholarships (Elementary school costs $150-180 per year)7) Adult ESL training8) Solid waste management and sanitation?9) …….. and much more

Please advise us if you are aware of other groups that have the potential to help with any of these needs.

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Back: Juan, Alfredo, René, Norma, Vicente, Pedro, VicenteFront: Alan, Santos, Cristóbal, Andrés

Back: Vicente, Cristóbal, Bill, René, AndrésFront: Miguel (mayor of Quiacquix), Alfredo, Lucas

The Project Team

Fernando, Itxel, Florcita, Marvin: our newest partners

Andrés is the president of Asociación AJPU.

Alfredo has been our main worker in Quiacquix. He also keeps the records of

expenses and work performed.

We regret that Norma has decided due to personal reasons to leave our team.

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Thank you.

For further information contact:

For information on biosand filters and other low cost water and sanitation issues,

visit the web sitewww.cawst.org

Bill Skinner

Ph: 403-807-1976

sunbold@shaw.ca

Flor Moreira

Ph: 403-619 5857

florcita_moreira@yahoo.ca

Alan Sitter

Ph: 403-993-1365

sittera1@gmail.com

Itxel Castro-Soto

Ph: 403-470-1268

itxel.castros@gmail.com

Marvin Rojas

Ph: 403-205-8442

rojasmarvi@gmail.com

Fernando Moreira

Ph: 403-889-7510

fa.moreira.r@gmail.com