Who We Are
At RESOL, our mission and values are deeply intertwined with the name of our organization. Derived from the Spanish word for sunlight reflecting off a surface, RESOL embodies a profound symbol that resonates across cultures and communities around the world.
The Sun’s Reflection
The sun’s light illuminates various surfaces, and similarly, we reflect the collective work, love, and hope of many. We are not just one entity but a dynamic culmination of countless professionals, volunteers, donors, humanitarians, and everyday people from both local and global communities.
Sustainability and Lifelong Impact
Just as the sun provides energy daily, sustaining life, our goal is to ensure sustainability. We are committed to creating programs that will benefit communities and individuals for years and generations to come.
Inclusivity and Equality
The sun’s light is universal, touching all without discrimination. Inspired by this, we champion systems that promote health and wellness for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or religion.
What We Do
Community Education
We conduct educational programs targeted towards women in the community. Programs are 6 months long and taught by both local Guatemalan educators as well as foreign healthcare educators and providers. Topics include hygiene and sanitation, nutrition and cooking, wound care, first aid, and women’s health.
Improve Access to Clean Water
We improve access to water filtration. The villages we work in do not have access to clean, potable water; water is often contaminated by sewage. We partner with Ecofiltros, a local Guatemalan water filtration company, to distribute water filters to community members at an affordable and subsidized price. We provide training for the use and care of these filters, as the majority of our participants have never heard of or seen water filters before.
Medical Jornadas
We provide mobile medical clinics to several communities in the Chicacao region staffed by local Guatemalan medical providers and providers from the United States.
Midwife Training
We partner with local ministries of health to strengthen midwife education and skills using Laerdal’s Helping Babies Survive curriculum.
Future Projects
- Train up community health workers.
- Strengthen partnerships with existing local clinics to improve sustainable health care access.
- Teach community members an artisan skill as a means to provide income for their families.
- Provide smokeless stoves in partnership with Asociacion Tuik Ruchlew to improve pulmonary health.
Where We Work
Our current area of focus is the Chicacao region of southern Guatemala. We hope to expand our projects to other communities and other countries in the future.
Guatemala is a beautiful country known for its chocolate, coffee, volcanoes, and lush landscapes. Unfortunately, it is also known for having some of the highest rates of poverty, chronic malnutrition, growth stunting, and maternal-infant mortality when compared to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Guatemalans are descendants of the Mayan people and speak either Spanish, one of several Mayan dialects, or both. Rural communities in Chicacao often have limited access to health care and education. Community members attend on average 3-4 years of school, with women typically only attending 1-2 years of elementary school education. Access to local medical clinics ranges from an hour walk to several hours of driving depending on the level of care needed. Communities often lack basic infrastructure such as sewage systems, garbage disposal, and access to clean water. Men typically work in labor intensive jobs, primarily agriculture, and make an average monthly salary of 2000 quetzales, which equates to about 260 US dollars a month.
