Guatemala trip 2024

In February 2010, I traveled to meet a contractor friend who had relocated to support Servant Ministries work in an impoverished region in Guatemala. The next year, I returned accompanied by my dad. Both visits were incredible journeys and greatly impacted my life and my father's, as we have continued to support Servant Ministries. The perspective gained through witnessing how the people in this region lived was life-changing for me. Seeing how little they had, and at the same time how happy they seemed, also had a tremendous impact. A seed was planted -- for me, nurturing that seed became an act of faith and a commitment to serving others.

Thirteen years later, Aulick Engineering launched our Aulick Cares Program and our first service trip abroad returning to the same region. Seven staff members and my son, Jameson, traveled to Guatemala to partner with Servant Ministries to assist in providing necessities for this region whose needs are great.

The people were so grateful for all that we did. Our team will remember this experience for years to come. This was a great way for our staff to get to know each other on a different level. We appreciate the support of our many partners and are excited to share our journey with you.

Challenges in the region

The region faces severe humanitarian challenges, including contaminated water sources that expose residents to cholera and dysentery. Many children suffer from stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies due to chronic malnutrition. Families struggle to secure reliable shelter and enough food to meet basic needs, while unsafe cooking conditions pose additional health risks from smoke inhalation and burns. Our team partnered with Servant Ministries to address these urgent needs.

The Camotan region of Guatemala faces severe water scarcity as part of the country’s “dry corridor.” Limited water sources—including contaminated rivers, streams, and springs—often run dry due to drought. While some buildings collect and filter rainwater, access to clean water remains a critical challenge.

Our engineering team met with Mayor Guerra to discuss his priorities: expanding water access, implementing purification systems, maintaining infrastructure, and providing health education. The mayor is also exploring innovative solutions like atmospheric water generation.

Aulick and our partners funded 50 water filtration systems for local families. Building on this success, we’re studying proven solutions from international water organizations to develop sustainable improvements for the region.

Aulick Making a Difference

The embrace child sponsorship program

In Guatemala’s Camotan region, where 70% of the country’s malnourished children live, Servant Ministries’ Embrace Child Sponsorship Program currently provides 50-pound food packages monthly to 86 families. Beyond providing essential nutrients, the program offers health education, medical care, and dental services. Families often walk hours to receive their supplies and attend educational sessions covering hygiene, nutrition, farming, and parenting. The program relies on various groups, U.S. churches, and individual sponsors for program funding.

The timing of our visit provided our team with the opportunity to assist in preparing the food packages to be distributed from the Servant Ministries Center. We also had the opportunity to spend the day with children awaiting sponsorship. Several of Aulick’s Guatemala team committed to monthly support of sponsoring a child.

SERVING CHILDREN THROUGH THE LOCAL SCHOOLS

Food insecurity poses a significant barrier to learning for many children in the region. While not every student faces malnutrition, the challenge of consistent access to proper nutrition affects their ability to focus and learn effectively. To address this critical need, Servant Ministries implements a direct support program, delivering food packages to schools for students to take home to their families.

Through a collaborative effort, Aulick Engineering funded food packages for two schools, while our client partners enriched the deliveries with recreational and creative materials including soccer balls, whiffle ball sets, jump ropes, and craft supplies. Our team’s visit to each school transformed into meaningful moments of connection as we engaged with the students through sports and creative activities.

The students’ spontaneous expression of gratitude touched our hearts deeply. As we prepared to depart, they lined both sides of the road, their waves and cheers creating an unforgettable farewell that demonstrated the profound impact of community support.

Looking ahead to Guatemala’s 2025 school year, which runs from February to October, our team has already assembled 4,000 school supply packets – a significant contribution toward the total goal of 11,000 packets that will help ensure students have the tools they need to succeed.

eco stoves

In this impoverished region, cooking over an open fire inside the home is a daily reality. However, the smoke that fills these enclosed shelters poses serious health risks, leading to chronic illnesses such as childhood pneumonia, emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and low birth weights. Additionally, the indoor air quality suffers from creosote buildup—a sticky residue from inefficient wood burning—that collects on walls and ceilings.

Providing an eco-stove with outside ventilation is life-changing for these families. These stoves require 50% less wood, helping reduce time spent gathering or buying wood and combatting deforestation in the area.

Through generous contributions and donations from clients and staff, Aulick was able to fund seven stoves for families in need.

SAMARITAN PROJECTS

Assisting villagers in need such as widows, single parents, and those disabled is the purpose of the Samaritan Program. The program partners with local churches to identify families or individuals that need help — such as a new roof or home repair. We had the privilege of helping two families by building shelters.

The first shelter was for a multi-generational family. In their existing houses, there was a great grandmother, a grandmother and grandfather, and a daughter with her 3-year-old child. The patriarch of the family is 68 and he worked alongside our team until the project was complete! The entire time we were there, the great grandmother was making tortillas, which we enjoyed on our second workday.

The second shelter was primarily for two blind sisters and their family. Their father, along with their other sisters and many children lived in the existing houses. We constructed a shelter that connected the two existing houses.

Guatemala trip 2024

Challenges in the region