We are excited to announce that the Health Clinic in Rancho Viejo, Guatemala is finally complete! Please read this awesome update from Carlos Soto, our Community coordinator in Guatemala.
“Rancho Viejo is one of the largest communities in San Antonio Huista, made up of several sectors and neighborhoods and many small communities surrounding it – making Rancho Viejo a very important community for the surrounding area. For most of them, Rancho Viejo represents the closest point where they can access health services. Strengthening the health system through renovations to the health clinic was always a priority for community leaders since it would provide help not only to the people of Rancho Viejo but also to neighboring communities.
It all began when a group from 410 Bridge visited the community some time ago. The Leadership council of Rancho Viejo took the group to see the health clinic, which at the time was a very small place, without a formal roof, with sheets of metal in poor condition, with toilets that did not work and unpainted walls.
The community knew that the project was going to be carried out together, between them and the 410 Bridge. They would have to contribute to build the health clinic out so they had ownership in the project. The first thing the community did was donate a space that was next to the old clinic so that they could expand the overall area of the new facilities so nurses, doctors and members of the community were more comfortable. This room used to be a computer center for the Rancho Viejo School, and was relocated to another room closer to the school’s students.
The Ministry of Health assigned an architect to design the new health clinic and to follow the necessary parameters to cover all the needs. This project was divided into three phases in which the center was going to be built. It is worth mentioning that throughout the construction process the community was very involved, there were always people from the community helping and it was very common to see Church Pastors get there with members of the their churches to help.
In the first phase, the space of the health clinic was made larger, adding the new room that was donated by the community where the two current clinics were built. The floor was changed, an interior ceiling was installed, they painted, and had two sinks installed.
In the second phase, they replaced the roof. The structure was also changed and the metal sheets used were special to keep the heat outside the building. In addition to the construction of the new waiting room, new space for the bathrooms, as well as the construction of a cool room for the handling vaccines and medicine was created.
The third and last phase, was the installation of the toilets, hydraulic and electrical installations were carried out, a new floor was installed, and all the walls were painted with the paint suggested by the Ministry of Public Health. In this phase, the community raised funds for the purchase of furniture used in the center, such as benches for the waiting room, a table for the reception and a cabinet to file documents.
The community of Rancho Viejo is very happy and grateful for this project and that it was really the beginning of their community development. It was a great way to learn how to come together for the betterment of the whole community.
The proof of the love that this community put into the construction of this project is shown in the fact that Rancho Viejo is willing to share this blessing with the rest of the people and communities that are located around it. We are very grateful to God and the contributing Churches for making this dream a reality.”
Thank you to all of our partners that made this a reality for Rancho Viejo and the surrounding area. It is a beacon of hope for so many people.
