Solar Midwives and Families

By John Bottenberg | Acting Executive Director, ATC

“Light tomorrow with today!”
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Dear Friend,

Because of your support, ATC has now installed Solar Home Units and ceramic water filters in 88 homes in rural Guatemala. That brings us within 12 homes of our current goal of helping 100 additional families through the Solar Midwives and Families project.

This progress continues through a strong partnership between ATC, Rubén — ATC’s project lead in Guatemala — and the ACTOCHI Midwives Association. Rubén installs the systems and follows up with families, while the midwives help identify households in greatest need and teach families how to properly use and maintain their ceramic water filters.

The midwives continue to see the impact of this work firsthand. They know which families are living without reliable electricity, which mothers and newborns face the greatest risks at night, and which homes would benefit most from clean water and safer lighting. Their continued requests for additional installations are one of the clearest signs that this work is trusted and valued in the communities they serve.

This need is especially important right now. Many rural families in Guatemala are facing added pressure from rising fuel and transportation costs, drought conditions, and lower crop income. For families who depend on seasonal agriculture, these pressures can make household expenses even harder to manage.

Each Solar Home Unit helps in practical ways: it reduces dependence on candles and kerosene, allows families to charge phones at home, and creates safer evening hours for mothers to weave or make saleable crafts and for children, especially girls, to study at home. In many households, girls and young women may otherwise spend hours traveling to town centers and waiting for a family phone to charge — time that can now be used for schoolwork, family responsibilities, or income-generating activities.

Reliable solar lighting also helps families use evening hours more productively. Rural mothers have told us that better-quality light allows them to work at night and can reduce craft-making time significantly, increasing the income they can produce from weaving, crafts, and other home-based work.

The ceramic water filters are equally important. Clean water supports small children’s health, reduces preventable illness, and helps families avoid the disruption and cost that come when children or parents become sick. The filters are made in Guatemala by local artisans, and the Solar Home Units are purchased through a local store, so each installation also supports local economic activity.

ATC’s approach is intentionally practical and local. We are not providing temporary aid. We are helping families gain durable household infrastructure — solar energy, clean water, safer nights, healthier children, and more productive time.

This progress is possible because of you.

Your support helps midwives serve families more safely. It helps parents care for children under reliable light. It helps small children drink cleaner water. It helps families reduce recurring costs and build more resilience into daily life.

As we move closer to our 100-family goal, we are grateful for every donor who has helped make these installations possible.

Thank you for helping bring solar light, clean water, and lasting support to rural families in Guatemala.

John Bottenberg
Acting Executive Director
The Appropriate Technology Collaborative

Links:

The Appropriate Technology Collaborative Home Page

Solar Midwives and Families Donation Page