{"id":133,"date":"2014-03-05T16:31:20","date_gmt":"2014-03-05T16:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/entremundosrevista.wordpress.com\/?p=133"},"modified":"2015-09-30T20:15:02","modified_gmt":"2015-09-30T20:15:02","slug":"the-world-at-large-international-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized-es\/the-world-at-large-international-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"The World At Large: (Inter)National Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blake Nelson\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s never a good idea to publicly criticize your boss.
\nWilliam Easterly was a successful economist at the World Bank when he was fired for writing a book excoriating the ineffectiveness of International Aid (and the World Bank knows a few
\nthings about International Aid). He responded with the ironically titled The White Man\u2019s Burden, where he continued to criticize industrialized countries for money that has \u201cdone so much ill and
\nso little good\u201d in the developing world. He was particularly harsh towards Western organizations that force top-down solutions on poor communities, without listening to any local voices.<\/p>\n

At first glance the Colorado-based non-profit Healing Waters International might seem ripe for that same critique. Courting international donors to build water filtration systems worldwide,
\ncritics might wonder how American engineers could truly address systemic problems in countries like Guatemala.
\nEnter Salom\u00f3n Hern\u00e1ndez.
\nA successful businessman and pastor in Chiquimulilla, Hern\u00e1ndez had heard about Healing Water\u2019s reputation for fiscal responsibility and sustainability, in addition to their safe, affordable
\nwater. Guatemala, like many developing countries, is filled with families who often have to choose between buying food or buying bottled water (and if they choose the former, the only
\nwater left is often contaminated). Many of those same families live around Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s church, and he wanted to do more than just evangelize.<\/p>\n

I spent several days in January driving with Hern\u00e1ndez, his family, and several members of his church throughout Santa Rosa. Two things were extremely obvious: Southern Guatemala has a
\nbig water problem. But what Hern\u00e1ndez and Healing Waters (known here as Aguas de Unidad) are doing is a big part of the solution. He and his\u00a0church, which is neither massive nor wealthy,\u00a0paid for a water filtration system without any outside help, a first in Aguas de Unidad\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

They sell hundreds of five gallon jugs every day, and despite charging 75% less than SalvaVida,\u00a0they\u2019ve still created enough of a profit marget to begin planning more systems. Guatemala, like many developing countries, has been ravaged by unchecked corporate power. \u00a0But the presence of Aguas de Unidad is a great example of capitalism at its finest. Aguas offers a product that\u2019s better and cheaper than the competition, which has led to lowered prices both here \u00a0and elsewhere. \u00a0Because of local leaders like Hern\u00e1ndez willing speak up for the poor, and groups like Aguas de Unidad willing to listen, Chiquimulilla is seeing a groundbreaking combination of local
\nleadership and local profits. Poverty has no quick fix. But clean and cheap water seems like a great place to start.<\/p>\n

Easterly would be proud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blake Nelson\u00a0 It\u2019s never a good idea to publicly criticize your boss. William Easterly was a successful economist at the World Bank when he was fired for writing a book excoriating the ineffectiveness of International Aid (and the World Bank knows a few things about International Aid). He responded with the ironically titled The White […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized-es"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7ljt7-29","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3021,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/usaid-and-foreign-aid-debate-in-guatemala\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":0},"title":"USAID and foreign aid debate in Guatemala","author":"EntreMundos","date":"1 junio, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Sara Van Horn, EntreMundos columnist In 2013, Bolivian president Evo Morales expelled USAID (the US Agency for International Development) from his country, claiming the agency was supporting\u00a0secessionist movements. His reasoning was later supported by declassified US government documents. The expulsion of USAID was also a protest against US Secretary\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abFrontPage\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"FrontPage","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/frontpage-en\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/usaid.jpg?fit=635%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/usaid.jpg?fit=635%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/usaid.jpg?fit=635%2C425&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8088,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/environment\/climate-change\/hurricanes-and-climate-change-disasters-waiting-to-happen\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":1},"title":"HURRICANES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Disasters waiting to happen?","author":"EntreMundos","date":"11 enero, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Fabio Cresta Ale\u00edna The wounds opened by hurricanes Eta and Iota are still heavily felt in Guatemala and in whole Central America. This year, during a record-breaking hurricane season, 30 Atlantic storms have been named, meaning that 30 tropical cyclones intensified to the point that their winds were faster\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abClimate Change\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Climate Change","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/environment\/climate-change\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cambio-climatico-2-autor-reuters-https___www.excelsior.com_.mx_.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cambio-climatico-2-autor-reuters-https___www.excelsior.com_.mx_.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cambio-climatico-2-autor-reuters-https___www.excelsior.com_.mx_.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cambio-climatico-2-autor-reuters-https___www.excelsior.com_.mx_.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cambio-climatico-2-autor-reuters-https___www.excelsior.com_.mx_.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13022,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/women\/donating-is-not-a-negotiation\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":2},"title":"Donating is not a negotiation","author":"EntreMundos","date":"30 julio, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Lisseth Santos \/ Translated by Maya Greenberg According to what is known about donation, this refers to a voluntary way of giving without receiving anything in return. However, the capitalist economic model, in its neoliberal phase, has turned health into a business and, with it, has also motivated profit\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abFrontPage\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"FrontPage","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/frontpage-en\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250702_150242-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250702_150242-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250702_150242-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250702_150242-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250702_150242-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7919,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/health\/being-an-older-person-with-a-disability-without-help-from-the-government-and-suffering-the-consequences-of-covid-19\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":3},"title":"Being an older person with a disability: without help from the government and suffering the consequences of COVID-19","author":"EntreMundos","date":"2 diciembre, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By EntreMundos Today, 3 December marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities according to the United Nations (UN), with the aim of promoting the rights and wellbeing of people with disability socially, and the search for equal opportunities.\u00a0 On March 13, 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in Guatemala,\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abHealth\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/health\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/adulto-mayor.jpeg?fit=771%2C586&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/adulto-mayor.jpeg?fit=771%2C586&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/adulto-mayor.jpeg?fit=771%2C586&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/adulto-mayor.jpeg?fit=771%2C586&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3015,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/the-debate-over-ngos-the-land-of-cinnamon\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":4},"title":"The debate over NGOs in the land of cinnamon","author":"EntreMundos","date":"1 junio, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juanita Rojas, social worker and EntreMundos columnist \"The axis of the universe rests on a song, not on a law\" -- Walt Whitman In his trilogy on the conquest of America, William Ospina describes the land\u00a0of cinnamon as that place perfumed with exuberant beauty, a symbol of what legions\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abCulture\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/culture\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/cumes.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12746,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/deportation-disinformation-and-defiance-the-global-impact-of-trumps-immigration-agenda\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":133,"position":5},"title":"Deportation, disinformation, and defiance: The global impact of Trump\u2019s Immigration agenda","author":"EntreMundos","date":"17 marzo, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"FOR PATRICIA SCHWARTZ Around 60 people are sitting in a circle of folding chairs on a Thursday night in Tucson, Arizona\u2014an American city about an hour from the border with Mexico. The weekly organizing meeting of the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos is being conducted mostly in Spanglish, and attendees are\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abFrontPage\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"FrontPage","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/frontpage-en\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/475088469_3067398756762538_3045668992826805668_n.jpg?fit=1100%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/475088469_3067398756762538_3045668992826805668_n.jpg?fit=1100%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/475088469_3067398756762538_3045668992826805668_n.jpg?fit=1100%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/475088469_3067398756762538_3045668992826805668_n.jpg?fit=1100%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/475088469_3067398756762538_3045668992826805668_n.jpg?fit=1100%2C666&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1024,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions\/1024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}