On Friday, January 24th, I was delivering a talk on sustainability at Agua del Pueblo’s Huehuetenango office. Everyone had been quite attentive until the final minutes when a buzz and alarmed looks were exchanged within the audience. Text messages on their cell phones had just reached them that their USAID-funded project had been suspended, effective immediately, and that those who worked full-time on that project should not return to work the following Monday. From one minute to the next they were confronted with a “stop-work order” meaning that their work helping communities had been suspended as had their incomes.
A description of the USAID-funded project that was abruptly suspended (and likely terminated) is as follows:
The Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project works to expand access to water and sanitation, with a special focus on Indigenous communities who have been historically deprived of quality WASH services. The project is implemented in 108 communities across 13 municipalities in the department of Huehuetenango and 5 municipalities in Quiché. It works to improve water governance and involve women and youth in water management activities. and strengthen local systems and institutions, professionalize the WASH sector and provide equitable access to high-quality services.
The suspension and likely termination of USAID funding has been a blow to AdP and to thousands of other non-profit development organizations throughout the developing world. In AdP’s case this represented more than half of its projected funding for the coming year. AdP will continue to assist poor under-served communities with funding from a variety of sources, including Rotary Clubs, the Friends of San Lucas, generous individual donors, local municipalities and the communities themselves. However, the scope of its work will be reduced, making each additional donation significantly more critical.
Andy Karp
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