Model Clinics

The model clinic project came to its natural conclusion in 2020. A report on the activity and the results of the project, included in Document 5, was published and sent to the Ministry of Health. The experience gained during almost ten years of operation reveals that the cooperation between a municipality and a private foundation is a viable approach to provide adequate medical care in rural Guatemala, without repealing the free health care law. However, efforts by the population and the Health Ministry are essential to prevent political exploitation, and assure the successful performance of the clinics.

The synergic cooperation between private non-profit agencies could be expanded to the larger institutions of the public health service, thus a generating initiatives and resources that a centralized system could not easily stimulate. A study of the latter interaction will began in 2020.

Model Town

The projects planned in 2019 included the expansion of our educational, medical and restauration activities in just one model town: Santa Catarina Barahona- Sacatepéquez. We made it clear to the Mayor of the town that these activities required the cooperation and the punctuality of municipality personnel, as well as the demolition of the latrine built in front of their XVII century cathedral. Since none of these conditions was fulfilled, we regrettably discontinued our activities in Santa Catarina.

Community projects

Small community project were started or implemented in Antigua and neighboring villages in cooperation with the Associacion Jepa-Guatemala and the Oficina de Asuntos Sociales in Alotenango. These projects included grants for talented and needy children at the basic and high school level, “jornadas medicas”, assistance to families in extreme poverty.