Corporate Partner DownEast will help bring water to Chirixquitzac!

Imagin a life where you only have to walk a few feet for reliable water whenever you need it. This is not hard for us to imagine but is the dream of the villagers in Chirixquitzac.

Everyday the 53 families of Chirixquitzac spend between 40 to 60 minutes collecting the water they need for their families. The children and women carry 10-liter jars on their heads to transport the water from the spring to their homes 4 to 5 times a day.

The community knows there is always a possibility the spring could dry up resulting in the need to walk 2 hours to the next closest spring. Because of this, the community has taken great care of the spring and the surrounding forest to prevent this from hapening. They have even instituted a reforestation program. Despite these efforts to keep the spring healthy, wild animals still pollute the water making it non-potable and it is a challenge to keep up with the need for water in each home.

Because of this, the village of Chirixquitzac has decided that a water system is their first priority and they are working diligently towards this goal. They are saveing the income generated from their pig buisness (started with DownEast funds). From what they have learned from the pig business they are now implamenting other ways to bring in income. This village participation is critical in the leadership building and creates necesary comitment to the project. Despite their diligent efforts, they are far from saving the necesary funds to complete the water system. This is where you come in. The funds DownEast has donated will make up the difference and provide the needed training and direction to manage the project.

The building of the water system is scheduled to begin March 2010. Thank you DownEast for your generous support. Thank you for making a difference.