A team of four members of the Rotary Club of Chemainus travelled to San Antonio Palopó, Guatemala in January as part of the club’s ongoing volunteer efforts in the Central American country. Tom Andrews, Richard Calverley, Roy Toombs and Ro-Lynda Toombs made up the group.
The group worked on several community projects in the lakeside Mayan town, which has a population of approximately 15,000 and is known for its vibrant textile weaving and ceramic pottery. Located in Guatemala’s southwestern highlands, San Antonio Palopó sits on the shores of Lake Atitlán, often described as the most beautiful lake in the world, and surrounded by volcanic peaks and steep caldera slopes.
“We have been volunteering in this town since 2014 and it’s always exciting getting the first glimpse of the lake and the town as we drive along the steep banks of the caldera,” said Tom Andrews, service director for the Chemainus Rotary.
This year, the team’s first major project was to build a new home for Petrona, an elderly woman who had been living in a mud and cane structure for 60 years. The interior of the house was blackened by soot from an open cooking fire and lacked proper ventilation, resulting in respiratory and vision problems for the family.
Over the course of several days, the team, with help from a local contractor, demolished the old structure, levelled the site and constructed a new home with a concrete block foundation, wood framing, a metal roof, windows and a secure door. They also donated a wood-burning stove that safely vents smoke outdoors and built two beds for Petrona and her three children.
“The family was thrilled with their new home,” Andrews said.
The group also modified 20 chicken coops built during a previous visit. By extending the roofs on all sides, they helped prevent water from seeping in during the rainy season. The coops now provide eggs for 20 families, with surplus eggs sold at the local market, turning the project into both a food security and income-generation initiative.
The Chemainus volunteers spent several days with the Directiva, a local women’s volunteer group, visiting families to assess needs related to child nutrition and household health. As a result, 46 children were selected for a biweekly nutrition distribution program and eight families will receive new cooking stoves.
While the terrain of San Antonio Palopó is steep and rugged with only two main roads and many homes accessible only by narrow stairs and paths, the Rotarians embraced the physical challenge.
“After several weeks of going back and forth to the job site and visiting homes, the Rotarians started to get in shape and enjoy some hikes up and down the narrow pathways,” Andrews said.
Still, it was the Mayan people who left the greatest impression.
Andrews spoke about the spirit of the local families, noting how much joy they expressed despite limited resources.
“Even though they have very little compared to our lifestyle, they are happy and make do with what they have,” Andrews said.
He added that most families don’t have access to running water, so many bathe and wash their clothes in the lake. Children spend their days playing in the streets and along the steep trails, laughing and chasing each other from morning to night.
“The families are so appreciative of what we do,” Andrews said. “They greet us with big smiles and always ask about Rotarians who have visited in the past.”
For Andrews, the impact of the trip goes far beyond construction projects or program delivery.
“Volunteering changes lives,” he said. “It improves the lives of the Mayan families we help, and it changes the lives of the Rotarians and friends when they realize how much they can offer with a little time and effort. They learn that to give is to receive. It is a wonderful experience for all involved.”
