Guatemala

Guatemala’s rich natural beauty ranges from the heavily forested mountainous regions, dotted by Mayan ruins and volcanoes, to the beautiful beaches and coastlines of the Pacific. The nation possesses a wealth of indigenous cultures and intriguing history, making it one of the most stunning countries of Central America.

Despite a strong communal identity, Guatemalans have suffered under a bloody history of guerilla warfare. In 1996, a peace treaty was drawn to end a 36-year-long civil war that cost the lives of more than 100,000 people. Since then, the nation has been used as a center for drug smuggling. Today, poverty is extensive and governmental corruption commonplace.

Illiteracy, infant mortality, and malnutrition have become norms of society, where the majority of rural indigenous people survive on less than $2 a day. Nationals have little faith in their government, which has failed to set goals for change. The country is in desperate need of intervention and internal development.

Although general statistics report that a large portion of Guatemala has access to clean-water sources, rural areas are largely unaccounted for. Most remote villages use hand-dug latrines, and raw sewage often penetrates open-water systems. There is an extremely high rate of contaminated water sources as a result of the lack of sanitation, directly affecting the health of thousands.

Water projects completed: 68
# of People impacted: 57,000
Population:	13,550,440
Religion:	Roman Catholic, Protestant, and traditional Mayan
Orphans:	380,000
Education:	31% of adults are illiterate
People living with AIDS: 59,000

ourprogress