BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEERS History Hospitalito Atitlan was reopened April 1 2005 after being closed for 15 years due to the extreme violence in Santiago Atitlan during the war years. The hospitalito offered office visits Monday to Friday and emergency care 24/7. As of December 2005 there is a staff of 4 full time doctors, 1 Tzutujil and 4 US, and 9 Tzutujil workers: 3 auxiliary nurses, a pharmacist, a lab tech, a laundress, a social worker and 2 guardians. December 2005 census is 2-8 inpatients daily. The commonest problems are deliveries, (often complicated, referred in by the “comadronas”), respiratory diseases (pneumonia and asthma), and dehydration and diarrhea. A devastating mudslide occurred in the neighborhood of Panabaj, where the hospitalito was located on October 5, 2005, just after the newly renovated hospitalito had reopened for surgery. Approximately 700 people died. The hospitalito was partly buried and is in an area that has been declared a cemetery and an area of high risk. In two weeks, a temporary facility was located and the hospitalito reopened, seeing clinic patients, ER patients, treating in patients. A week later, the OR reopened for C sections (One of our doctors is family practice with a special year of maternal and fetal medicine, and a retired OB-GYN comes periodically for 3 month stints). At the time of this writing, the hospitalito is giving free care to the victims of the mudslide (5000 remain homeless) and temporary homes are being built. The town Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala is located a mile high, on the shores of a beautiful 1000 foot deep lake formed by a volcanic caldera. The population of Santiago is approximately 40,000. It is 95% Tzutjil, the largest Mayan city in the world. The nearest hospital is across the lake and up the mountain, at best an hour and a half trip. Santiago has one of the highest maternal-infant death rates in the western hemisphere. The people of Santiago often refuse to go to Solola, the nearest hospital, because of fear that they will be misunderstood and poorly treated (Solola is K’aqchikel, the traditional enemies of the Tzutjil), and that they might die, which would give their families the large expense of transporting their bodies back to Santiago. Before the hospitalito reopened, many would choose to just stay home to die. There is little medical knowledge in this largely illiterate town. Superstition abounds. If a baby is thought to suffer from “mal de ojo” or evil eye, the parents will often not take it to the doctor and it will die at home. Also, patients can go to the pharmacy and obtain all medicines except some controlled drugs. Therefore patients often have had multiple injections of unknown medicines before they arrive for treatment. The lake is gorgeous, the weather temperate, with a rainy season from May to November. It is often quite chilly at night, in the 50s (with no heat in the houses or hospitalito). The days often get to mid 80s. In the rainy season (May to November), it usually rains in the afternoon. During the dry season there is often quite a strong cold wind. Points of interest Santiago has the original Catholic church built in the 1500s. Most of the other early buildings have been destroyed. There is also a chapel for Maximon, the Tzutujil chief god. Maximon, however, moves around to various houses and for the donation of a beer, can be visited and asked for prayers. There is a strong mix of the Tzutujil religion with Christianity. A lovely peace park is on the side of the road on the way to Panabaj. It marks the site where the army massacred 13 Tzutujil during a peaceful demonstration in 1990. Approximately 1,700 residents of Santiago had been killed or disappeared during the war. Following the massacre, the leaders of Santiago bravely signed a petition to the president to remove the army. It was ordered out of the city within the same month. Traditional woven and embroidered clothing Almost all the women here wear the traditional Tzutujil dress: a huipil, like a blouse, hand woven and lavishly hand embroidered, and a corte, a long hand woven skirt wrapped around and fastened in place by a faja, a belt also beautifully embroidered or beaded by hand. Only about a quarter of the men wear the traditional garb. During the war years, men who wore the “traje” were commonly disappeared. But still many wear hand woven white and red striped pants that come just below the knees, a dark woven wide sash, and a white sombrero. There is a major initiative now to provide the victims of the mudslide with looms and thread so that the women can make new traditional clothes to wear. Woven and embroidered articles and beaded jewelry is for sale at many shops in Santiago and is an important part of the economy of the town. Lake access Launches, both public and private, visit the town dock regularly, connecting Santiago with the multiple small towns around the lake. San Pedro, about 45 minutes and $2 across the lake, has lovely hiking and horse back riding trails. Panajachel, about 1 hour and $2 across in another direction, has lots of US style restaurants, a four star hotel and a nature reserve. Airport The nearest airport is Guatemala City. Santiago is about 3 ½ hours from Guatemala City (the nearest airport) by private van. Or 3 hours from Antigua, Guatemala, the original capital of Guatemala, and a lovely Spanish Colonial town, renowned for its Spanish schools and charm Public buses (fondly called chicken busses) connect with Guatemala City and other cities several times a day. Private Vans Guatemala City is confusing to get around in and many areas are considered dangerous. A private van can be arranged for airport pickup. It costs approximately $90 to get to Santiago Atitlan. If you arrive early in the day, the van can take you to Antigua for a few hours of sightseeing for the same price. ATMs are available in the airport in Guatemala City and in Panajachel. They take all cards. There is one ATM in Santiago. Traveler’s checks are a bit of a hassle to cash. It is often easier to take the day off and go to Panajachel to use the ATM and get some US food. Internet is available at reasonable rates ($US 1.00 /hour) in several places in Santiago. Cell phones can easily be rented for a week at very reasonable rates, and time added in small increments. Using them, it costs about 15 cents a minute to call the US. Reception is not perfect, though! Safety is always a concern in Central America. The hospital volunteers and visiting medical and nursing students are comfortable walking around most of Santiago during the day. Multiple tuc-tucs(three wheeled vehicles) are available to get around at night for about $2 a ride. Ask about areas to avoid when you arrive. Housing There are a few houses and apartments for rent in Santiago. A house costs $200-$400US a month. Living with a family is about $100 a month and a great introduction to the people and culture of Santiago. These are somewhat at a premium now, Dec of 2005 because of the hospitalito and justice center all moving back into the city as a result of the landslide. Food A market in town is open every day. Beans, rice, corn, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, chicken, eggs, beef, dry cereal and local cheese are all available at very reasonable prices. Powdered milk is also available in some stores. Simon’s and Distribuadora Ramirez sell butter and cheddar cheese. There are multiple restaurants in town to choose from. Most are local food and very cheap. Hotels There are two semi-luxury hotels in Santiago. Posada de Santiago and Bambu. Both have lovely rooms and a good restaurant that costs US prices. Posada is reachable at posadadesantiago.com or info@posadadesantiago.com Bambu is www.ecobambu.com or hotel@ecobambu.com A third, more expensive, luxury hotel, Turicentro or Tiosh Abaj recently opened tioshabaj@gmail.com. Spanish is essential for medical and nursing volunteers but not necessary for non-medical volunteers. Almost none of the hospitalito staff speak English. Feast days and holidays Santiago has several colorful feast days. July 25 is the feast day of Saint James (Santiago) and there is a week long celebration leading up to the feast. September 15 is a national holiday. November 1 and 2 the day of the dead is celebrated with many flowers and candles and visits to the cemetery. Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, has multiple festivities including processions and street carpets made of colored sand or flowers. Immunizations Everyone coming to Santiago should be current with the following vaccines: tetanus, hepatitis A and hepatitis B, and typhoid. TB skin test should be within one year. Those volunteering for a long period should consider prophylactic Rabies vaccine (there are many street dogs). Medicine to prevent malaria is not needed in Santiago. Due to the altitude, Santiago does not have malaria. Check the CDC guidelines for further recommendations. Medical and Mental Health Care  The hospitalito can provide basic care for volunteers, who are expected to pay.  It does not have any back up specialist medical care nor any mental health care nor drugs.  Any specialist care, mental health care, mental health or controlled drugs must be obtained from doctors/pharmacies/hospitals in Guatemala City at the expense of the volunteers.  Volunteers with recent or ongoing health issues are expected to let the chief of staff of the hospitalito know in advance of these problems to discuss the feasibility of volunteering in this physically and mentally stressful setting. Financial support Hospitalito currently does not offer financial support to volunteers. The Fundación K’aslimaal (board of directors) is actively looking at ways that they can provide some assistance to volunteers. This might include very basic housing and food, especially for volunteers staying for more than 3 months. Anyone requiring such help should let the Volunteer Coordinator know what kind of assistance is needed. Summary The people of Santiago were very excited that the hospitalito reopened and consider it a major sign of healing from the war. They are very friendly and eager to share their way of life and traditions. A volunteer here will love the traditional T’zutujil and their passing way of life, the lovely lake surrounded by towering volcanoes, ancient ways, superstition, poverty and great and challenging medical need. Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at: volunteer@puebloapueblo.org Return to top of page

Pueblo a Pueblo Inc.
2006