Amazed, nervousness and curiosities abound as the village of Sejolobob witnessed a transformation they never thought possible {…}
We arrived in the village called Sejolobob. Home to the Qʼeqchiʼ tribe, (one of the largest Maya tribal groups). What a greeting from the villagers as they circled around me in anticipation of the objects stacked full on the back of the pickup truck. Such love was felt all around as they escorted me to their main hall, adorned with signs and streamers all saying “WELCOME”. Even though I had never stepped foot in this village before, the welcome was beyond my capacity for appreciation.
With filters and buckets in hand, we did not waste a minute and began the prep for the assembly and distribution. (Sleep wasn’t a part of the plan 😂). To my surprise they had even prepared a meal for me and assured me the water was “clean”, it had been boiling for two hours!! Such humility, I did not question nor show any concern for the water since I had just arrived and their version of “clean” was about to reach a whole new level.
My contact and new friend Rosendo had prepped the village for my arrival, with all the family names of the villagers to be able to distribute to the entire village in an orderly fashion.
All the kids participated by setting up each bucket with a respective filter as they all raced to get it done as fast as they could. After a few crazy demonstrations where we had the children grab EVEN MORE dirt and throw it in the bucket, it was then time for the ultimate taste test.
The parents of the children were very hesitant to drink the water first, and so they encouraged their children to do it and see if it was ok. To their surprise, it was more than ok, the children kept asking for more and more! Once the parents realized the joy a simple glass of water brought their children, it wasn’t long before everyone got in on the action.
In the end, no one was left in doubt, that it truly was a miracle for the village of Sejolobob to witness such a drastic change in water…and in their zest for life.
