A workcamp is being organized to help the rebuilding effort of the village of Union Victoria, Guatemala, sponsored by the Emergency Response and Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board. The workcamp will take place March 11-18.
Hurricane Stan in late 2005 had devastating effects on Union Victoria, a remote indigenous community in the highlands of Guatemala. All crops were destroyed, over 60 mudslides were reported, and the community’s only bridge was washed away, according to a notice from Emergency Response. Workcampers are invited to join the village in rebuilding the bridge, a transportation structure critical for community members to get to their clinic, school, and transport crops.
Workcampers will work alongside villagers mixing cement, moving rock, mounting cables, and cutting boards to create a bridge. Participants will live with a host family in the village and have an opportunity to learn about the ancient Mayan culture in a rustic rural setting. Workcampers also will learn about Union Victoria’s unique struggle to rebuild a community after decades of war, repression, poverty, and most recently Hurricane Stan.
Participants pay their own airfares (ranging from $450-$650). Food, lodging, and transportation while in Guatemala are covered, except for a final night in Antigua. For more information contact Tom Benevento before March 3 at coblatinamerica@hotmail.com or call 574-534-0942.