Rebuilding Guatemala after Hurricane Stan
October 28, 2007 | Category: Guatemala
By Kat Vaughan
During my last trip to Guatemala, I took a tour of the refugee camp just above Santiago Atitlan. The Mayans now living there were left homeless after Hurricane Stan (Oct 2005) washed their village, Panabaj, under a several feet of mud. The damage was monumental and catastrophic. Thousands of loved ones were buried alive in the middle of the night as the soil on the nearby volcano gave way and quickly covered the town of Panabaj. People lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods.
The Mennonite Central Committee gave $45,000 to build cement block homes for the displaced. When I took a tour of the region, I was informed that the government had ruled the land uninhabitable because it was "too near the foot of the volcano and susceptible to another mudslide". So the refugees continue to live in aluminum sided spaces with dirt floors until another area of land is designated safe. The refugee camp is a difficult sight to see because it is unsanitary, degrading and depressing. In response to their plight, USAID and other agencies are stepping in to provide the Mayans with food, clothing and blankets. In addition, various cooperatives, including a few we work with, have helped to rebuild homes and lives.
Globally Minded jewelry is handcrafted by some of the very women who lost everything in the Hurricane, providing food, clothing and resources for entire families. Our producer groups work in clean and pleasant facilities, learn new skills, and make money with their craft. Every purchase of Globally Minded handcrafts, supports those struggling in poverty, many the victims of a dreadful hurricane. We are thankful to make a difference.
During my last trip to Guatemala, I took a tour of the refugee camp just above Santiago Atitlan. The Mayans now living there were left homeless after Hurricane Stan (Oct 2005) washed their village, Panabaj, under a several feet of mud. The damage was monumental and catastrophic. Thousands of loved ones were buried alive in the middle of the night as the soil on the nearby volcano gave way and quickly covered the town of Panabaj. People lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods.
The Mennonite Central Committee gave $45,000 to build cement block homes for the displaced. When I took a tour of the region, I was informed that the government had ruled the land uninhabitable because it was "too near the foot of the volcano and susceptible to another mudslide". So the refugees continue to live in aluminum sided spaces with dirt floors until another area of land is designated safe. The refugee camp is a difficult sight to see because it is unsanitary, degrading and depressing. In response to their plight, USAID and other agencies are stepping in to provide the Mayans with food, clothing and blankets. In addition, various cooperatives, including a few we work with, have helped to rebuild homes and lives.
Globally Minded jewelry is handcrafted by some of the very women who lost everything in the Hurricane, providing food, clothing and resources for entire families. Our producer groups work in clean and pleasant facilities, learn new skills, and make money with their craft. Every purchase of Globally Minded handcrafts, supports those struggling in poverty, many the victims of a dreadful hurricane. We are thankful to make a difference.
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