Quetzaltenango is a region in western Guatemala that is characterized by both its natural wealth (its lakes, lagoons, mountains, volcanoes, rivers, etc.) and its diversity of ethnic cultures. However, due to the low economic and social development of its inhabitants, 80% of Quetzaltenango’s population live in conditions of poverty, with many living in conditions of extreme poverty.

The aim of the students’ visit to Guatemala was to promote activities that focus on training and building the capacity of local healthcare agents to meet the health-related needs of their communities, with a particular emphasis on problems such as malnutrition and strategies for recovery, care for the elderly and bronchial and respiratory illnesses.

The students were accompanied by Dr. Maria Ángeles de Juan, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the coordinator of the project. Throughout the academic year they had prepared for the work camp with a series of personal and professional training sessions.

The work camp was organized in collaboration with the Foundation for the Comprehensive Development of Socio-Economic Programmes (FUNDAP), which has been helping some of Guatemala’s poorest rural populations for over 25 years.

With regard to funding, the initiative received financial support from the Barcelona and Family Foundation, which helped purchase medical materials, and the UIC’s Department of Physiotherapy, which raised money for the work camp through its POLD Method^® workshop. Contributions also came from other fundraising activities organized by the UIC.