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ATITLAN COMMUNITY
The ICO Atitlan Community supports Initiatives and Projects within the Lake Atitlan area of Guatemala. The Team is tasked with Environmental improvement, Health Care, Family Support, Community Initiatives and Projects, Education and Micro credit. In addition the Team has responsibility to ensure that all ICO Inititiatives and Projects meet sustainable objectives. The ICO Atitlan Community Team directly manages on-going Initiatives including Stoves and Micro-Credit.
 Team members in Guatemala Initiatives Stoves:  During 2006 and 2007 our group, which has now become the ICO Atitlan Community, has been working with families, in impoverished villages in Guatemala, and has funded over 400 enclosed, energy efficient stoves, known as the ONIL Stove. These stoves are made in Guatemala, and distributed through HELPS International, they cost $100 cdn, each. Why stoves? The Maya of Guatemala form some 60% of the population, with the majority living in one room adobe homes, where they cook on unventilated, open cooking fires. These are a major cause of child burns, respiratory problems and eye infections. Furthermore, the traditional three stone fire, consumes 65% more wood than the ONIL Stove. The new stove cuts down on work time and the costly price of wood, both to the people and the environment. The new stoves are 99% smoke free. Presently, they have been installed around Lago de Atitlan, in the villages of San Antonio Palopo, Santa Catarina Palopo and San Pablo la Laguna. Recipients also receive classes in family health and nutrition, and instruction in maintenance of the stove. Money for stoves has been raised by selling the villager's hand woven items, and through designated donations. Many more are needed to change lives and preserve the forests. Education and Literacy Initiative Over the last few years, many high school students have received scholarships, given by our donors. The cost of secondary education exceeds the capabilities of most Mayan families. We have been able to hire teachers to teach women to read and write, and provide school supplies, annually, to needy students and teachers. This year, we are working with the Conalfa program, (a government run literacy programme) and have paid the yearly salary for four teachers, and purchased a computer. A group of Canadian volunteers conducted computer literacy classes for adults and teens in San Antonio Palopo this year. San Pedro Schooling Initiative: This is a locally-based Initiative in San Pedro whereby 12 children are financially enabled to attend school. This Initiative has been funded by direct donations from employees and associates of Pemberton-Holmes Realty in Victoria, BC, Canada and matched by the company. All money donated goes directly to the families with no deductions for administration or management.  Micro-Credit: Our experiment into "micro credit" involves a chicken project in San Antonio Palopo, situated on the shores of Lago Atitlan, Guatemala. Funding was made available to a group of 25 women, mainly widows and abandoned mothers, who had formed themselves into an association. The project was to build a large coop to house and rear, 150 egg producing chickens and 90 meat birds. The funding was to cover building materials, initial purchase of chickens and feed for four months, inoculation costs, and sundry incidental items, all labour to be provided by the women and their families. The conditions for the funding are, that it is part gift, part interest free loan, with the loan element being repayable over time, once the project is up and running. There is also an obligation to assist, in the future, with the launch of a similar project in another village. |
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