Community Life:
- Xeabaj is located four miles away from the county seat of Santa Apolonia.
- The entire population is Kaqchikel and is comprised of 250 families.
- Xeabaj’s name means “under the stone.”
- The community has a kindergarten and primary school, with 180 students attending. There’s also a secondary school with 65 students.
- Xeabaj families work primarily in subsistence agriculture, and some grow vegetables like potatoes, carrots, cabbage, snow peas, cauliflower, and broccoli to sell and generate some extra income to cover their needs, with the land being rented in most cases. Some also plant fruits like apples, peaches, and plums. On the other hand approximately 20 percent of the men work as masons, drivers, or masonry assistants. Some are teachers, accountants, and mechanics. In the case of the women 50 percent are housewives and weave blouses. The rest are teachers, accountants, nurses, or secretaries.
- 30 percent of the population are Catholics and 70 percent are evangelicals.
- The road is 60 percent paved. The rest is unpaved but in normal conditions, it is passable all year round.
- Villagers have electricity and public transportation every day.
- There are no health services available at the village.
Our Partnership:
We partnered with Xeabaj from July of 2017 through June of 2019 to complete the following programs:
- Community Mobilization and Empowerment: Complete
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene: Complete & TBD Efficient cook stoves, gray water filters, and sanitary latrines were installed between June and September of 2018. A potable water system is needed and will be implemented as funds become available.
- Nutrition: Complete
- Food Security (Sustainable Agriculture): Complete
- Family Planning: Complete
- Disaster Risk Reduction: Complete
See more about how we work in our partner communities
