The community of San Lorenzo El Tejar is located 15km north of Antigua, Guatemala. It covers approximately 3 square kilometers in area and is situated 1550 meters above sea level. The surrounding area is mountainous and forested with a climate that is defined by two seasons, a wet season, May-November and a dry season, December-April.
The population consists of 2430 people, largely Latino, with some of indigenous descent. The people are warm and quiet, though quick to help. Once they heard of our desire to improve their water system, they were quick to invite us into their homes and humble enough to answer our probing questions. Their housing consists primarily of wall to wall properties rising up into the surrounding hills. Much of the space they used for cooking and cleaning activities was without roofs or flooring. Electrical service was available to most of the community, though not to every residence.
Project Description
A program to improve the quality of life in San Lorenzo by providing the community with a safe and sustainable water supply is now being designed. To adequately address the problems within the current system, the program has been divided into three separate projects. The first project centers on their water supply system including piping, pumps, storage, and water treatment. The second focuses primarily on the communities complex water distribution system and the third, their sanitation system.
In addition to improving the community’s water system this program also considers the related health and education of the community. On each of our trips several medical professionals travel onsite with our team to help track improvements in the communities health. Education on water conservation and personal hygiene is also conducted to ensure the effects of our projects are positive and lasting.
Joining us in designing and implementing all aspects of the project process are the University of California Riverside and Cal Poly Pomona’s student chapters. As professionals our role in the program is largely to provide mentoring and support for the students as they move the project forward. We have found this collaboration to be very advantageous as both universities offer different engineering programs, each possessing unique strengths. This provides the students with an opportunity to benefit not only from the guidance of the professionals but also to learn from each other.
For more information on the student roles within the project visit our Partners page.
Also working closely with us on the program is the non-governmental organization, Nuestros Ahijados. The NGO currently works extensively within San Lorenzo El Tejar as well as surrounding communities to provide needs to families and children. The mission statement of the NGO is to “break the chains of poverty through education and formation.” Our program compliments many projects currently adopted by Nuestros Ahijados, such as their current goal to build sustainable homes for families that live in dirt-floor shacks to help improve sanitation and promote healthy living.
For more information on Nuestros Ahijados visit www.GodsChild.org.
San Lorenzo El Tejar is currently not available despite their proximity to adequate water resources. This inconsistency is the result of a decaying infrastructure that is not sufficient to meet the needs of the growing community. Many of the citizens are only provided with several hours of running water a day, forcing them to walk to the town sink when their need exceeds this allotment. The quality of the water, its distribution and disposal are also in question.