Chickens in the Outhouse and Other Tales on Rural Economic Development

I am back in Canada, sleeping in my nice comfy bed that does not have fleas, with access to fresh running water, and indoor flush toilets; so I am in the perfect position to reflect back on my 10 days in Guatemala.  The irony is not to be lost - how we can accomplish so much in conditions that are "not to North American Standards," is amazing to me.

In Comi, the town that we were based in has an average income of 8 Quetzals/day or $1USD.  Potable water was accessible in most parts of the surrounding villages, but due to an extra-long dry season the supply is considerably limited.  I was fortunate that the week that I was in Comi we had water daily, however it is quite common for there to be, "No Water Wednesdays."  In fact, the only time I didn't have access to water was when we were in Guatemala City on my last night... Things could have been much worse... Like I could have had chickens in the outhouse in every community I visited... Chickens are mean birds (they won and got to keep the outhouse to themselves)!

In a previous blog post I told you about Dentistry for All and the organizations that they are partnering with.  Ammid is one of them.  Ammid is a fairly large social service organization focusing on multiples levels of CED - agriculture, women's rights, health, education, business development/micro-finance.  It partners with agencies with specialized skills in one of those areas.  In the case of DFA, the partnership is part of the medical services that Ammid provides.  Ammid is a membership based organization - individuals and families pay an annual fee of about 5Q to have access to all the different services offered.

On my last day in Comi I went to an experimental community farm managed by one of the Ammid women and the US Peace Corps.  Each day of the week is assigned to a different village in the area and it is typically women who tend the field and the livestock. The growing experiments are on vegetables and fruits that can withstand the arid growing conditions. 

This farm is also experimenting with eco-technology.  The outhouses are composting toilets - and the solid waste is used for fertilizer (for more information on this check out the book Humanure).  In addition to the toilets they also have solar showers and the cooking stove/oven generates heat to warm up the water pipes for the interior water.  During the rainy season, water is collected to carry the farm through the dry season.  In the pig pen, the methane is captured and turned into a usable energy source to power the electricity in one of the farm houses.  In its entirety - the farm is a complete circle.

If only we would adopt some of the ecological systems and community infrastructures that Comi and its environs had integrated into their daily lives.  Though, I have to admit, I will gladly pass on chickens in the outhouse.