University of Virginia Brothers Receive Davis Projects for Peace Grant
Original article written by Matt Kelley, University of Virginia
Brother Amanda Below (left), Theta '09 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and her project partner, Brother Andi Maddox (right), Theta '09 received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace Grant for their El Agua es Vida (Water is Life) proposal.
This grant will help Brother Below and Brother Maddox create a health education and water filtration program in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, a rural lakeside community. The young women are already familiar with the area, having spent time in the community last summer during a study-abroad trip offered through the UVAGuatemala Initiative.
Brother Below said, "We applied for this grant in hopes of continuing our partnership in Guatemala and to return to the community with a tangible response to the concerns and priorities addressed in the community assessment conducted last summer."
The young women will collaborate with local health promoters, based on previous filtration projects in the lake basin. They plan to implement an education program for Guatemalans on water purification and hygiene. The courses will have a minimal fee and will conclude with the
installation of a water filter in participants' homes. The UVAGuatemala Initiative has set aside a supply of filters for use in the Lake Atitlán communities.
Congratulations to Brothers Below and Maddox!
