Humanitarian Assistance Project

for victims of Hurricane Stan

       
 Description of the Project

     1.  Background

Guatemala faces a catastrophe of tremendous gravity, provoked by Hurricane Stan, which, from October 3 through October 7, struck 20 of the 23 provinces that make up the country.

Hundreds of people died or disappeared and hundred of communities were destroyed.  It is impossible to quantify or describe the magnitude of the destruction and the suffering of the people.  Thousands need help in order to survive.  Because of the gravity of the tragedy the government has declared a national state of calamity.

CESSMAQ and the executive committee of the Maya Quiché Presbytery, concerned about the magnitude of the disaster and the suffering of the brothers and sisters of the churches of Maya Quiché Presbytery and the communities supported by CESSMAQ's community development process, agreed to prepare and execute this urgent project for humanitarian aid, as a manifestation of solidarity, brotherhood and love for neighbor.

     2.  Justification

            Tropical storm Stan has left a tragic sequel in hundreds of communities, the majority of them indigenous and poor.  Humanitarian aid and assistance is necessary because of the following effects of the storm:

    a)  Hundreds of people killed.

    b)  Hundreds of people buried when their homes collapsed or were washed away, who still have not been uncovered.  There are villages, like two in Santiago Atitlan, which have been declared cemeteries, because the volume of made  it impossible to uncover the dead.

    c)  Thousands of persons who escaped live in shelters, where they need food, clothing and medicine.  Nevertheless, they need to begin their lives again, depending on help (las ayudas solidarias) because they have lost everything.

    d)  Thousands of homes were destroyed and thousands are uninhabitable.

    e)  Sickness

    f)  20 provinces affected by the storm

    g) Severe damage to agriculture

    i)  To a greater or lesser extent a sharpening of poverty, illness, unemployment, hunger and scarcity of basic products is anticipated. 

3. Objective:

As Christians to stand with and provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of Hurricane Stan, in order to meet their most urgent basic needs. 

4.  Coverage of the humanitarian aid:

    a)  Infrastructure:

            - Churches:  to support the churches in the reconstruction of their buildings.

            -- Community:  to help families in the construction or reconstruction of their dwellings         

    b) To provide food to families that need it, families that are in shelters or who have lost everything in the communities.

    c)  Clothing

    d) Medical assistance and medicines

    e) Spiritual help and accompaniment

    f)  Preventive medicine

            -- support the construction of latrines

            -- disease prevention

            --  environmental hygiene

            -- adequate use of water

    g) Orientation for the reactivation of the economy and agriculture, initiating more formal processes that permit confronting poverty, hunger and reconstruction

5.  Beneficiaries of the humanitarian aid:

    a)  23 churches of Maya Quiché Presbytery

    b) 10 communities that CESSMAQ supports with self-development processes

6.  Control of the use of the resources:

    a)  CESSMAQ will carry a system of accountability specific to the project, for financial control

    b)  Social audit:

            -- Churches:  In the churches of Maya Quiché Presbytery the session and the pastor will carry out a control of the work that is done and the resources that are apportioned

            -- Communities:  The local development committees and the communal authorities will carry out a control of the aid work accomplished and of the resources.

            --- In the communities, CESSMAQ personnel (promoters) and local committees will carry out the aid activities for the most needy vicgtims, in coordination with local authorities. 

7:  The needs are multiple and varied for each community or church; quantifying with precision is difficult.  For the purpose of the proposal, the amounts are combined.

            1.  Humanitarian aid for 23 churches and 10 communities at the rate of 15,000Q each:                                                Q 495,000           US  $65,131.57 

            2.  Mobilizing the work team:

                  a)  Getting resources to the churches and communities

                  b)  Supervision and support for the process of accomplishing the activities in the churches and communities:   Q   19,800             US   $2,605.26     

                                                            TOTAL       Q 514,800             US $67,736.83

(Exchange rate:  $1 = Q. 7.60