IRWA Promotes Circuit Riders
in Guatemala

IRWA is proud to announce that it has joined the Agua Para la Salud (Water for Health) initiative in Guatemala with an initial investment to train circuit riders.  IRWA will be providing funding and technical support to assist in the training of several circuit riders to work with rural and indigenous communities in Guatemala.  The candidate circuit riders have already been involved in the Water for Health program and will receive valuable training in water system maintenance, water resource development, utility mapping, hydraulic analysis, appropriate technology such as tablet chlorination, ferrous cement tank construction, rain water catchments, and water board organization.  Through these initiatives, IRWA and our Guatemalan partners can begin to build the knowledge infrastructure within the Guatemalan water industry and within the communities served, to place them on the track to long term sustainability.

The Guatemalan program will assist IRWA to meet our goals and is consistent with our mission statement that reads:

“To improve the quality of water for residents of developing nations through the establishment of partnerships with organizations to provide resources for implementation of training, technical assistance and sustainable technology applicable to the needs of developing nations.

Mr. Lynn Roberts who heads the Water for Health program in Guatemala stated, “The approval of the project comes at a timely period in the development of similar sentiments in Guatemala concerning the state of water system maintenance, availability of water sources, treatment of water and protection of water sheds. Weekly there are articles in the national newspapers concerning these topics and a growing political and private sector willingness to support such programs.”  Lynn has been working in Guatemala for nearly 15 years and we are excited to be able to join with him to support his efforts.