Diarrhea
is the major cause of death among the world’s children, claiming approximately
5000 victims every day. (WHO 2005) After Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998, the
rural water supply of Nicaragua was largely contaminated. This prompted Potters
for Peace to begin a Ceramic Water Filter production workshop near Managua using
a design developed by a Guatemalan industrial engineer, Dr. Fernando Mazariegos.
HEART attends hygiene
workshop in Lake Atitlan area.
Marcelle Renkin of Maya Traditions and Michelle and John White of HEART
for the Nations participated in a women's workshop this past August 2008 to
educate women and children how to properly wash their hands. Hygiene is a
problem around the Lake Atitlan region for the Maya people because most
households do not have running water and many families live on a mud floor with
leaky roofs and open doors and windows. Fathers and boys work hard as
laborers and farmers, tracking harmful bacteria into the home. With chickens
running inside and out of the kitchen, it is pretty difficult to keep a tidy
kitchen and prepare food properly for the family. The women and children
learned how to use a toothbrush to clean under their fingernails. This workshop
emphasized the importance of always washing your hands before preparing a meal
for the family. The women paid a modest sum to attend the workshop which
covered the costs of cleaning supplies which the women could take home for their
personal use.
Above: Two young girls from Nicaragua standing in front of
a ceramic water filter which has been in their kitchen since 2004. Below:
Potter's studio in Nicaragua.
Diarrhea
is the major cause of death among the world’s children, claiming approximately
5000 victims every day. (WHO 2005) After Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998, the
rural water supply of Nicaragua was largely contaminated. This prompted Potters
for Peace to begin a Ceramic Water Filter production workshop near Managua using
a design developed by a Guatemalan industrial engineer, Dr. Fernando Mazariegos.
