Projekthilfe Guatemala also cooperates with Padre Herman; for the respect for his daily work with the people and for a healthy pragmatism.

On the following pages we inform you about him, about his work and joint projects - the achievements and further goals.
Padre Herman Rolando Sierra Juárez. The born “Ladino” (a Ladino-mestizo is an American Indian with European ancestry) is in charge of the organisation of the relief projects, supervises the execution and the sustainability and initiates “land buy-back”.

Description of the parish: It is situated in San Cristobal, in the highlands of Guatemala, 1.393 m above sea level.
The area has a surface of 192 sqkm and has aprox. 50.000 inhabitants, in 54 townships. 83% of them are Maya Pocomchíes, 2% Maya Q´eqchíes and 15% Ladinos.

70% of them live without electricity, sanitary facilities, water or streets; often they are nothing more than tolerated people on somebody else's property.


Around half of the men find work with the great land owners. They earn around € 1,90 a day and live with their families in miserable houses. In all communities there is urgent need for:
1. Hygiene; i.e. water, washing places and sanitary facilities.
2. Health; i.e. there is no basic medical equipment.
3. Food; there is not enough cultivable land for the two basic food, corn and beans. The cultivation and processing requires most of the time of the women and the families.
4. Education; as the children have to work and there are not enough schools, they remain illiterates, just like their parents.