Guatemala: ADIM Collaboration 
Since 2001 in Nebaj and Chahul, Guatemala
Partnership: ADIM (Asociaćion para el Desarollo Integral de Multiservicios)

Sombrilla’s longest partnership is with ADIM, a registered NGO in Guatemala.  Indigenous communities in northern Guatemala suffered through a thirty-year civil war that ended in the 1990s.  Sombrilla was founded in 1987 in response to human rights abuses and population displacement that occurred as a result of the war.  The primary goal of Sombrilla was to promote peace initiatives, and later to provide development aid and support for communities in the Quiche region. Early projects included:

• Promotion of Participatory Democracy and Gender Equity Project
• Human Rights and Peace Accord Promotion Project
• Primary Health Care Project – Phase 1 and 2
• Improved Stove and Corn Grinder Project
• Comitancillo Human Resource Development Project I and II
• Ixcan-Sierra Prevention and Reintegration Project
• Ixcan Water and Latrine Project
• Teacher training and Library Building
• Ixcan-Sierra Wellness
• Chajul Family Garden Project

In recent years, a primary focus of Sombrilla and ADIM has been to develop a series of micro-pharmacies with the goal of providing medications to community members who would not be able to afford those of commercial pharmacies.  Sombrilla provides funds to lower the cost of pharmaceutical purchases and to train community members to dispense the medications.

Our current project with ADIM is to provide support to computerize the inventory and accounting system for the pharmacies, and to improve community awareness of the micro-pharmacies.

Specific Objectives
Improve ADIM’s administration, accountability and general control of the micro-pharmacy projects.

Provide additional training for all micro-pharmacy staff, in order to improve project administration, accountability and sustainability.

Provide assistance, supplies and training for the development and delivery of a public awareness promotion initiative of the community micro-pharmacies.

Future Projects
The Government of Guatemala has proposed that ADIM expand its program to additional communities that do not presently have access to local pharmacies.  These new communities are not in the traditional area served by ADIM, therefore new physical infrastructure and staff training are needed.

ADIM is also seeking assistance to complete their office in Chajul, which requires building of a roof and connection to electricity.