Pa K'in - Santiago Sacatepéquez

Pa K'in is a large Kaqchikel-speaking town in the department of Sacatepéquez. It is situated just a few minutes off the Pan-American Highway between Guatemala City and Chimaltenango. It is a bustling, rapidly growing community with a diverse economy typical of sub-urban indigenous settlements. Most families continue to engage in some forms of subsistence farming activities, while at the same time availing themselves of accessible markets and small business opportunities in Guatemala City. Although there are several physicians in the community, access to care is restricted by high costs and language barriers.

In Pa K'in, relatively well-developed local infrastructure (water, electricity, housing) means that many of the diseases of childhood (malnutrition, asthma, cooking-fire accidents) are less common here than in other communities in the Guatemalan highlands. As a result, life expectancies are longer. However, lack of access to care persists, and therefore it is primarily untreated diseases of aging that exact their toll on the population. There are no locally available, affordable resources for the treatment of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, or arthritis.

In what was Wuqu' Kawoq's first and now longest-standing project, we work together with local citizens and community leaders to address these deficiencies. We run a primary care clinic which focuses on the care of the elderly. In particular, a major focus is the effective treatment of diabetes and its complications. Most of our work is home-based, as many of our patients are bed-ridden or otherwise unable to leave their homes. Language is also major focus, as most of our patients do not speak Spanish

In addition to providing medical consultations and pharmaceuticals free-of-charge, we also work to integrate elements from local herbal and ethnomedical practices. We also have strong ties to Mayan spiritual leaders (ajq'ija') and the major cofradías, ensuring the integration of traditional healing and prayer practices into the care of our elderly chronically-ill.

See photos from this project here