Children in Guatemala are learning that drinking water every day is essential to living a happy, healthy life!
“Sometimes they give me a soda but I prefer water!
To be healthier and give me energy
I love to drink water, 8 glasses a day!”
If you had been visiting Santa Lucía Utatlán in the month of August, you would have heard children, teachers, and even mothers singing the very catchy water campaign song - “Voy a tomar agua pura (I’m going to drink water), sung to the tune of Marc Anthony’s "Vivir mi vida”. The lyrics to the song were written by MM Education Coordinators and used throughout the public health campaign to promote the importance of drinking purified water every day.
A lack of safe drinking water (98% of the water supply in Guatemala is contaminated) and easy access to cheap, sugary beverages means many families in rural Guatemala do not drink nearly enough water. Students, mother leaders, and teachers in MM partner communities came together to spread this important message and help develop the healthy habit of drinking purified water every day. Thanks to our partners at Water Charity, each of our partner schools and many mother leaders in our communities have filters that provide children with clean drinking water.
Each school performed the campaign song complete with some incredible costumes.
In addition to bringing the community together to promote healthy habits, the campaign offered mother leaders and student council leaders the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and the knowledge they have acquired as a result of the monthly workshops provided by Mil Milagros. Mother leaders and children from the student council worked together to lead the campaigns in the schools.
During the campaign, students brought water bottles to school to drink water. Each classroom committed to drink water each school day and made posters to keep track of their progress. Now, any time you visit a Mil Milagros partner school, you will find the children with their water bottles happily sipping “agua pura.” We are so proud of all of the mother leaders, child leaders, and teachers for helping their communities develop healthy habits for life!
