A Closer Look at San Gregorio Through the Story of Panimaquip

As The People's Consultants continues its work to improve access to clean water and sanitation in Guatemala, we're highlighting a video that tells the story of a neighboring community facing many of the same challenges as San Gregorio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nqlyxzTVkw

Although this video was originally created to support a wastewater improvement project in Panimaquip, it also provides an accurate picture of the conditions experienced in nearby San Gregorio. Both villages are located on the slopes of the Atitlán Volcano near Lake Atitlán, where residents primarily speak the Mayan language Kaqchikel as well as Spanish. Like Panimaquip, San Gregorio continues to face serious wastewater challenges, with untreated wastewater flowing through village streets and creating health and environmental concerns.

The video was produced at no cost by a college journalism student in partnership with Agua del Pueblo and The People's Consultants to help raise awareness and funding for Panimaquip's wastewater project.

Since the video's creation, Panimaquip has successfully completed a major rehabilitation and expansion of its drinking water system. While the community remains committed to improving its wastewater infrastructure, local leaders have chosen to pause before beginning another large-scale project.

As a result, The People's Consultants has shifted its immediate focus to San Gregorio, where approximately 90 families reside and have identified wastewater management as one of their highest community priorities. With additional homes under construction and strong local organization, San Gregorio is ready to take the next step toward a healthier future.

While the faces and stories in the video come from Panimaquip, the need it illustrates remains very real for San Gregorio today. We invite you to watch the video to better understand the challenges these communities face—and the lasting impact that improved sanitation infrastructure can have on the health and well-being of families throughout the region.

Interested in supporting this work or learning more about our projects in Guatemala? Contact The People's Consultants to find out how you can help bring sustainable wastewater solutions to communities like San Gregorio.

You can also make a donation here.