Give efficient stoves to 100 Guatemalan families

While the usual savings group activities have been put on hold for the time-being due to the increasing threat of COVID-19 in Guatemala, the social capital that has been built up over the years is in full force, as Community Finance members support one another by sharing project ideas, helpful information, and good humor via program specific social media groups in WhatsApp and Facebook.

One project idea that is catching on was spearheaded by Adelina, one of the program’s Community Finance Advisors. In rural Guatemala, the typical way people wash their hands is in wash basin called a “pila”. They scoop the water from the basin with a small plastic bucket and pour the water over their hands. As you might imagine, it is quite difficult to wash your hands for 20 seconds without running water, and to ensure that everything you are touching is sanitized.

To address this issue, Adelina created a no-touch handwashing station, inspired by a similar project implemented in another GRACE Cares program in the Dominican Republic. She then recorded a video in her community’s native language, Kakchiquel, in which she explains how she built it, while her niece shows how to use it (see photo taken from video). Adelina shared the video in the program’s social media groups and encouraged her fellow community members to create one of their own. Now, other families are building their own no-touch handwashing stations, reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19, and making the typically boring task of washing your hands, fun for kids too!