This community has around 900 inhabitants and is located just across the river from Chel. The community grew out of villagers from Chel locating across the river in a patch of Jasmine flowers but after a time they saw the need to incorporate to seek help with schools, water and other community needs. Actually the full name of the village is Jala a La Las Flores. It is a sing song sound – Jala a Las Flores which is a mixture of Spanish and Ixil that simply means “The other side at those flowers”. As I review my photos and remember my time there I feel that if the village name were a song it would be a mixture of hardship and hope. Poverty and the past have written a long story of struggle. One photo that was taken of me alone at the end of a day work, a day in which I was so exhausted I was virtually useless struck me. I was there. I shared that song, the struggle and the hope and I so am thankful to be a part of it.
Here we are in front of the home and store of the Mayor or alcalde of Las Flores. He obviously was not elected due to having a rich and elaborate lifestyle.
We met inside his home, which sleeps five, to discuss the first day’s work. After two years of planning and a week after we delivered materials we were finally ready to start work on the large holding tank half an hour walk above the village.
Ah, at last the first day of work on the site of the holding tank.
Digging and packing seem to always be the first step of a water project!
Our ordered wheelbarrows did not show up until the third day so we do what we always do in Guatemala- improvise. The man in the white shirt is Manuel Lopez the village “cocodes” a nonpaid representative of the regional government. He has given so much time to make this project happen it is incredible.
Progress comes little by little
Every house hold has to participate even the mayor. I don’t know if that concept would catch on with our leaders here in the states but it has merit.
I found the alcalde to be quite a character. Here he is digging for treasure in a small cave we uncovered. This hope was not unfounded because as we dug down around three feet we continuously would find small pieces of pottery.
here is a part of our collection.
I was excited to find the nicest piece of obsidian. It is very common that wherever you dig in this region you find pottery pieces testifying to the long existence of the Ixil people here.
A representative of the ministry of health (man in the vest) stopped by during lunch the third day of our digging. He was performing a purity test on our spring and very impressed with the chlorine filter that we will install at this tank. It will be only the 4th village in the 60 of Chajul to have a filtered system. The two other men in the photo are the Alcalde and Manuel Lopez, village cordinator
Well, the hole is dug and a rebar grid laid out in preparation for the concrete floor.
Our next need was for sand, cement and rock to be carried to the site. Every household was responsible to carry an equal part. A few had mules but most of the men had to carry the loads on their backs.
The climb to the site took me ½ hour with a light load. It goes up and
up and up
1,500 100# sacks would be carried to the site before we finished the tank.
I am amazed at the determination of these people to better their community.
We also needed water so with 100 20’ pieces of PVC we set up a temporary water source. I forgot a handsaw that day but an Ixil can do almost anything with a machete
Success!
On mixing day it took me three trips up the hill to get everything ready. Around 10:00 we were ready but I wondered if it was too late in the day to begin but everyone wanted to go ahead so the mixing began. I appreciate the lessons of days like that when I become frustrated becuase life is not going according to my organized plan and I just let it go. Many time lo and behold a good day comes inspite of myself.
We would build three of four mountains of concrete mixture, dry mix them
then add water and stir.
Placing the rebar grid.
this is a quarter of the way through the day.
By days end I was exhausted. Here we are mixing te last pile
The day after the pour we started forming the walls. Two sectors of villagers were assigned to transport lumber that was cut from a donated tree further up the mountain. This lumber was rough cut with a chainsaw on a hillside grade of 45 degrees.
In total we moved 336 boards three boards at a time.
It was a nice break from the backbreaking work of hauling, digging and mixing to start forming the walls of the tank. This tank is quite large measuring 20’ x 23’ and 7’tall.
The alcalde or mayor is helping nail boards here. He is the shortest man I know from the village and probably around 4’6”. I don’t know how much he weights but he can still pack 100# sacks of cement and sand around pretty well.
Even though I spent two months in the region with all of my different responsibilities I only had two weeks to actually work with the village on the tank. A few days after this photo I turned the work over to one of the masons in the village and started my journey back home. I was tired and looking forward to showers and a more varied diet but very grateful for the progress we had seen with in these projects.
It has been three and a half months since my visit and a lot has been accomplished since then. The holding tank is finished and the municipal has delivered all the piping they promised. The first part of July we purchase more cement and rebar to start work on a collection tank at the spring. The village is mobilized working digging ditches and laying pipe. In October I will return and it is anticipated we will install the water filter and have a completed water system for almost 1,000 people. I personally feel very thankful. Thankful to the village for the willingness to work so hard for a better future, to the people at The Rotary and Olson foundations for having such caring hearts and enough faith to provide the seed money to make this project possible. I also am grateful to the municipality of Chajul who step up to the plate and served their people. Lastly and always I am thankful to our donors who help us cover the loose ends to see this project to the end. When I am back again in Jala a Las Flores and turn on a facet in front of a house and know every family has clean safe drinking water at their doorstep I will be thinking of all the help along the way and offer a pray of blessing to each of you. Thank-you all Michael
