Hurricane Stan Wreaks Havoc on Guatemala By Chuck Haren and Casta Calderon Haren Two months after flooding and landslides caused by hurricane Stan wreaked havoc in Guatemala, Maya people living in the District of Solola (an area most severely affected) continue their search for ways to feed children, rebuild homes, re-establish water supplies and care for the sick. Many thousands of rural Maya lost their crops of corn, beans and vegetables that had been planted in September and early October. The same crops that provide a minimal food security and a small income for families that care for their sick, clothe, shelter and feed their children, pay for schooling and address all other costs of basic human needs with an income of about a thousand dollars per year. Casta and I have been working in Guatemala City and Solola since November 21st. A couple days ago we took time to go visit Canton, Santiago Atitlan where more than 600 people died, buried alive by mammoth mud slides in the middle of the night, resulting from the heavy flooding caused by the hurricane. Thousands of people lost their homes in this very traditional Maya community, and hundreds here remain in temporary shelters, dealing with the rains, cold temperatures, mental and physical exhaustion, sickness and tremendous sense of insecurity that we could see in their faces and hear in their voices. While there are relief supplies coming into the areas that "made the news" like Santiago Atitlan, other smaller villages, ones having many families affected with equal severity, remain without the food, housing and water system reconstruction, and other forms of assistance needed. Two hundred and eighty five thousand people affected by hurricane Stan are in a food/nutrition crisis. More than 8,000 families lost their homes completely, and 25,000+ homes were damaged. In a country where 75% of primary school students do not have text books and 30% of the schools can not provide supplies (paper, pencils, chalk boards, desks) even more children will be left out of the education process this year. Many people who are sick can not afford to pay for the medicine they need. And a huge number of women who make and sell traditional patterns of beautiful clothing and crafts have lost significant amounts of what has become an extremely important part of their annual family income. Plenty is working with a Maya community based non-profit organization, Asociacion Desarrollo Integral de Belen (ADIBE), or the Belen Integrated Development Association, to bring food and other resources to families in the District of Solola that were affected by the hurricane. ADIBE is based in Solola and up until hurricane Stan hit, had been focused only on development issues within their community of about 2,000 people. Immediately after the hurricane, and while making major repairs to their own village gravity fed water system, ADIBE and other Belen community representatives pitched in to help transport families to shelters, carry supplies and distribute some food aid. The community of Molino Belen has managed a small community owned food processing business for several years. They make a very high nutrient dry corn-soy cereal/powder drink mix and fresh soy milk. With financial assistance from Plenty, ADIBE will be distributing foods to families living in the villages of Cuchilla, Maria Tecun. Other information: ADIBE has worked with a local house builder to come up with a model design for a cement floor, block wall, metal roof and glass window house for a family of 6 or more people. The cost of materials and construction supervision is about $27,000 quetzals or $3,400.US. If anyone knows of an organization or individuals who would like to help construct new homes or repair damaged ones, please let us know. Plenty Staff member Louise Hagler reports from Guatemala 1/20/06 Read hurrican Stan relief update from the Spring 2006 Plenty Bulletin. Learn all about hurricane Stan by reading these press reports from major news outlets.