In the early morning of the 5th October 2005 in the District of Panabaj, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, the strong rains caused by the tropical storm Stan, resulted in tremendous flooding and landslides.  Around 150 houses were left completely covered in mud and rocks, others were carried away by the flood and many remained seriously damaged or destroyed. 

Due to the tragedy that occurred in those early hours of the morning and the rapid development of the landslide, a large part of the population was not able to evacuate the site and was left buried beneath the mud or carried away by the current.  Between 4,000 and 5,000 people were affected. 

To date, 100 of the dead have been buried and 600 people are though to have disappeared, in addition 600 families have moved to live in temporary shelters or with relatives or friends.  It has been very difficult to quantify the land and cultivations that have been permanently damaged. 

Many families have been destroyed and all have been psychologically affected: 25 children have been orphaned, around 100 have lost one parent and 77 women have been widowed. 

In the days following the tragedy, a group of neighbours joined together to help to rescue the survivors and recover the bodies, they formed an Emergency Committee to help to organise their community, the Maya Tzutujil.  Days after, a group of volunteers, who had been supporting the relief effort in Panajachel on the other side of Lake Atitlan, arrived in Panabaj and began to collaborate with the Committee. 

Very soon it became clear what the people most needed in order to start their lives once again, and the idea of the IJATZ-la semilla (the seed) project was born with a vision of a better future.  The project is a community centre with various functions for economic and social reactivation, children's education and professional training.