Addressing Root Causes

Many of Heart to Heart’s humanitarian efforts lead to the discovery of certain issues that complicate a community’s capacity to provide access to reliable health services. In those cases, we get to the heart of the matter and strive to address these issues, so we can participate in creating healthy communities and a healthier world.

One such issue has emerged in Central America, where we have impacted the health of millions of people over the past 10 years.

On the rim of scenic Lake Atitlán is the Sololá region of Guatemala. Sadly, it has one of the highest incidence rates of childhood diarrhea and other water-related diseases in the country. These health problems are causing unnecessary suffering and even death in far too many cases.

Working with local agencies, schools and government officials, Heart to Heart developed a holistic Water and Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH) program that strives to improve community health. It starts with the select schools, spreads to the families of students at these schools, and finally expands to the communities in which these students live over a three-year period.

By providing sources of clean water, improving sanitation, enhancing community awareness of hygiene and empowering local ownership of the program, we expect to see a positive impact on health.

LEARN MORE about our WASH initiatives