Our Annual World Water Day Celebration brought the community together on April 18 to raise awareness and support for global access to clean water. Held at Mount Mary University, the event featured wine, light refreshments, and meaningful connections, all while supporting the Chunima Sector Bajo Water Project in Guatemala. Thanks to generous attendees and supporters, the evening not only celebrated the importance of water but also helped make a tangible difference for communities in need.
Our World Water Day Celebration, in addition to a few generous donations, we were able to fully fund the Chunima Sector Bajo Water Project ($43,000)! This project will provide reliable, gravity-fed drinking water to 137 families (822 people) in the rural community of Chunimá, Sector Bajo, in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Currently, residents must collect unsafe water from distant sources, leading to poor health and lost opportunities—especially for women and children. By constructing a sustainable system that delivers clean water directly to homes, the project will significantly improve health, reduce waterborne illness, and enhance overall quality of life for the community.
We awarded two students for their creative submissions to our inaugural World Water Day Art Contest! Participants were inspired by the World Water Day 2026 theme, “Where water flows, equality grows”– highlighting that where people lack safe drinking water and sanitation close to home, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt.
Our first place winner was Indira Kahate Desouza, a second-year Environmental Engineering student at Marquette University, Milwaukee. Indira’s artwork (below) was printed on our World Water Day 2026 prayer cards!
“The Mayan goddess Chak Chel is depicted as an elderly woman with an upside-down pot, pouring rain from the heavens. Her name, “Great Rainbow,” assures impending rain – she can be seen as a benevolent figure encouraging new growth, or a fearsome threat of storms that will wipe the land clean. In my piece, a young girl collects water for her family from Chak Chel herself, indicating that a period of regeneration is coming. Working on water projects in Guatemala through Engineers Without Borders has shown me the sanctity of this resource; with water, there can always be renewal.” Indira Kahate Desouza
Our second place winner was Ieisha Sistrunk, a first-year Biochemistry and Global Studies student at Mount Mary University, Milwaukee. Ieisha’s poem powerfully captures the life of a young girl who spends her days gathering water for her family, sacrificing her own chance to pursue a brighter future.
