In early May my wife Debby, two other Rotarians, three people from Heart to Heart and I embarked on a mission trip to Guatemala.  The purpose of our trip was to continue the work that was started last year by Heart to Heart and Rotary to deliver water filtration systems and wood burning stoves to the people of Sololá, Guatemala.  We landed in Guatemala City and took a 2 ½ hour van ride west to the city of Panajachel. This city sits on the banks of one of the most beautiful natural lakes in the world and it is completely contaminated by raw sewage. 

For five days we delivered and set up water filtration systems in people's homes. These relatively simple and inexpensive devices eliminate up to 99% of the impurities found in their water.  98% of the drinking water in Guatemala is contaminated.  Dysentery and diarrhea are the major causes of children missing school. In a country that ranks as one of the poorest, education is extremely important to help break the poverty cycle.

We also installed wood burning stoves in those homes that were still cooking over opened fires in the kitchen.  You can imagine the soot and grease buildup in their cooking areas with this type of set up.  I have included a picture of a family where we installed a stove.  This beautiful woman and her two adoring granddaughters live in a one room house with an outside cooking area.  This stove will make for a much healthier environment and will substantially improve their quality of life.  It also reduces the amount of cooking wood by two thirds.