Monday, December 25, 2006
The last week of December. I've got to get serious about what to pack for my project. Six
months in the Guatemala highlands will be cold. So I know I need warm clothes, jackets and
stuff. But will the Crisis Corps supply warm blankets, towels and things like that?
The project is beginning to take shape, although I don't really have a clear idea of what
will be expected of me just yet. After Hurricane Stan, nine communities chose to move, with
promised Gov't help, from dangerous valley locations to mountaintops. But it seems that
many of these communities still don't have permanent housing, water, or electricity, and
remain dependant on local and international organizations for food and water delivery.
Scarce firewood increases the threat of deforestation.
Articles in La Prensa, the major newspaper in Guatemala, state that only about 55% of the
money originally allocated for recovery from the hurricane has actually been disbursed.
More of the funds are being made available now, but the paper notes that the records of how
the money is being spent are very murky. It implies that much of it may be lining pockets
instead of building houses.
There is a good website that provides information about the situation, the communities and
their current status, at projectinfoixtahuacan.org
There are some things that are definitely different about Guatemala. Right now, there is a
shortage of paper money. A few ATMs will dispense bills, but only in small amounts, and
only to their clients. With my VISA card from a bank in the USA, I am out of luck. Shops
will accept my VISA but I can't get money for small purchases, and neither can a lot of
other folks. There are lots of articles in the newspaper about what a problem this is for
people and for shopkeepers, but no information about what caused this strange absence of
paper, or when more will become available. Strange.
months in the Guatemala highlands will be cold. So I know I need warm clothes, jackets and
stuff. But will the Crisis Corps supply warm blankets, towels and things like that?
The project is beginning to take shape, although I don't really have a clear idea of what
will be expected of me just yet. After Hurricane Stan, nine communities chose to move, with
promised Gov't help, from dangerous valley locations to mountaintops. But it seems that
many of these communities still don't have permanent housing, water, or electricity, and
remain dependant on local and international organizations for food and water delivery.
Scarce firewood increases the threat of deforestation.
Articles in La Prensa, the major newspaper in Guatemala, state that only about 55% of the
money originally allocated for recovery from the hurricane has actually been disbursed.
More of the funds are being made available now, but the paper notes that the records of how
the money is being spent are very murky. It implies that much of it may be lining pockets
instead of building houses.
There is a good website that provides information about the situation, the communities and
their current status, at projectinfoixtahuacan.org
There are some things that are definitely different about Guatemala. Right now, there is a
shortage of paper money. A few ATMs will dispense bills, but only in small amounts, and
only to their clients. With my VISA card from a bank in the USA, I am out of luck. Shops
will accept my VISA but I can't get money for small purchases, and neither can a lot of
other folks. There are lots of articles in the newspaper about what a problem this is for
people and for shopkeepers, but no information about what caused this strange absence of
paper, or when more will become available. Strange.
