We are delighted to share that we now have all the funds to complete Phase One (capture, recently completed), Two (transport), and Three (storage) of the water project! Thanks to some very, very generous donations both large and small, we can now fulfill our commitment to the people of Nuevo Amancer to provide plentiful, potable water 24-7. We cannot thank you enough for your amazing generosity and solidarity!!

We are continuing to fundraise for Phase Four of the project – Acquiring the Final Land Parcels. The community has raised over $17,000 in funds through their own efforts and lobbying of the municipal government to purchase most of the land where the spring is located. They are still fundraising and lobbying government agencies to acquire additional parcels with the natural springs required to provide a sufficient source of water into the future.

The amount that remains is $9,000. Anything you can contribute to help bring this life- giving project to full fruition is super appreciated and will go a very long way. The donations you have given so far have brought hope and energy to the people of Nuevo Amanecer!
Donate or Purchase Eco-Friendly Water Bottles to Fund Phase Four of Our Clean Water Project
Please help us complete the final phase of this vital, life-giving water project by either donating on our website or purchasing one or more of our Miir water bottles. These eco-friendly bottles are super durable, attractive, and all proceeds directly fund the clean water project.

History of the Water Project
The water project began in 2015 with a generous grant from the Rotary Club of Seattle - International District to repair the community well. Though the repair helped significantly, we soon learned that the water situation in the community was much worse than we realized – the repaired well was only capable of providing 9-10 months of water per year, forcing community residents to wash their clothes in the polluted Naranjo River for the remaining months and purchase drinking water in expensive, polluting plastic bottles.

In 2020, we contracted with a team of indigenous women water engineers to institute a permanent solution to the water scarcity facing the community. The team worked with the community to help them improve conservation practices, and developed a plan to capture, transport, and store clean water from a nearby natural spring. The plan also helped restore and beautify the area with native plants in a way that will help attract solidarity visitors in the future.

For the last month and a half, community members of all ages have worked to finish the project’s first phase by hauling the materials needed to store the water and embed the storage tanks, including sand, gravel, wood, and rocks. Members of the town’s water committee also got involved in assisting the engineers with some of the technical aspects of the project. We are happy to say the first three phases are all done! (Please see photos below)

We are excited to share the great news that our querida amiga Emily Willard has successfully defended her PhD dissertation on women’s experience of conflict, indigenous politics, and transitional justice in Guatemala at the University of Washington.
 
As part of her dissertation research, Emily worked with the community of Nuevo Amanecer to record, preserve, and share stories about their experiences of the conflict and genocide in Guatemala told by multiple generations of the women. Emily first connected with community members after meeting New Dawn Guatemala President Joe Szwaja during a visit to Nuevo Amanecer, when she was studying Spanish at Proyecto Lingüístico Quetzalteco (PLQ). She visited the community multiple times, especially on their celebratory anniversary of the founding of their community. (Read Emily’s article about the 20th anniversary in 2018.) Supporters and New Dawn board members usually visit for the anniversary, but there will be no visit or celebration in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Emily’s passion for human rights is evident in her groundbreaking work with University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights (UWCHR), where she spearheaded the use of US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to investigate local and international human rights issues. She trained generations of UWCHR interns in the exciting and tedious work of FOIA research.
We are honored that Emily has supported New Dawn Guatemala by speaking at many of our events and on videos such as our water video. She has collaborated with us on various fundraising and solidarity actions.  
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Emily is a special person who has made a positive impact in Nuevo Amanecer. We are honored to call her our friend and excited to learn about the next chapter in her quest for social justice in Latin America.

Congratulations, Dr. Emily Willard!