Snow covered Tajulmulco, seen from the project site

Since arriving back in Guatemala, I haven’t yet had a chance to provide a project update, and for those of you who live vicariously through the blog (we know who you are) I apologise for the lack of information. However, as they say: “no news is good news”, and even though I have only been back here just over a month I have become involved in an exciting new project that has kept me very occupied.
Shortly after landing back in the country, a close friend of mine from Alaska called me up to say that he was in Guatemala for a few weeks volunteering on a project near the town of Malacatan. We arranged to catch up in Antigua, and after a couple of beers and a few hours reminiscing about the old times working together in Quetzaltenango back in 2007, he had convinced me to get up at the crack of dawn, jump in the back of a pick-up truck and head with him on the 8-hour trip back to the project to see what it was all about. And I must admit, I am extremely glad I did.

Banze and Corrina, bathing down at the nearby river (using degrable soap!)

The project is located in the small community of La Independencia, on the Pacific slope about 45 minutes from the Guatemalan border with Mexico. On the Guatemalan side of the border, there are a large number of homeless children – left behind by parents trying to make it into Mexico or the United States to find work. In response to the needs of these abandoned children, a group (the Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Casa Del Niños, or ADICN) from the community of La Independencia decided to start a project to provide a place where these children and others like them from the community could come to receive food, shelter and vocational training in different skills.

Don Carmello, member of ADICN, in one of the design brainstorming sessions

Integral to the success of this project is the support of Solace International – an organization which provides programs in education, vocational training, mentoring and small business development in developing communities to help create sustainable, lasting change. They have been involved here in the project since the outset: assisting in the establishment of the Casa del Niños, and the buildings, infrastructure and small businesses that will support it.

Banze helping out to apply the cement membrane to the completed frame

It is thanks to Solace International that Chase was down in Guatemala, and that Seres is now involved in the Casa del Niños. Through many a late night brainstorming session with Banze (Solace’s Project Manager), we are working to design the 3.5 acre farm to be environmentally and economically sound, and to introduce the community to alternative farming and construction techniques.

Banze & Corrina laying rocks for the tank foundations

The 20,000L ferro-cement rainwater catchment tank (a construction technique not previously seen by the community) has already been well received, paving the way for us to introduce ferro-cement composting toilets and an earth-bag guesthouse for volunteers to come and work. The existing septic system (which currently discharges directly into the nearby river) will also be converted into a black water treatment system, with plans to integrate this into the long-term permaculture plans to create small agricultural businesses that will bring revenue to the project.

Banze with the soil test, used to determine suitability of soil for earth-bag construction

The systems that we build into the site will require ongoing maintenance and upkeep, and our plan is to involve young people staying in the Casa del Niños – training them in the basics of permaculture and sustainable design and by doing so creating a greater interest and awareness of the environmental sustainability of the wider community. Seres’ presence here also gives us a chance to gain a better understanding of the needs of the community, and help introduce more sustainable practices into the daily routines…each time I come back, I am more energized and enthused by the progress that we are making and the relationships that we developing, and I know that there will be great things to come. So stay tuned…I promise the next update won’t be so far away!

To see more photos from the project, clicke here to visit our Flickr Photo Stream