Designer Fondly Recalls Guatemalan Trip; She’s Ready to Volunteer Again

It has been more than five years since Marianna Guzman volunteered to be part of a talented 25-member Project Resound design team in service to the municipality of Fraijanes, Guatemala.

But Marianna’s memories of the project were fresh and fond as she spoke recently with Project Resound founder Louis Baker. She so enjoyed the challenge, the camaraderie and the sense of purpose that she would like to be part of another Project Resound trip – although this time as a professional rather than a student.

Marianna graduated with a Graphic Design degree, with a specialization in Communication and Publicity from the Universidad del Istmo in 2016 and now is employed as a Creative Designer at Lunalabs Design.

The Fraijanes project was conducted in partnership with professors and design students of the Universidad del Istmo (UNIS). It’s goal: create a regional education and outreach initiative for the muncipality, who wanted its citizens to gain a greater awareness of the importance of the water supply, water conservation methods and wastewater management.  

The project result: a friendly superhero called ‘Aguatemala,’ which is a combination of the words Agua (water) and Guatemala. Aguatemala teaches elementary school age children (and vicariously their parents) about water resources and conservation.

For Marianna, one of the most difficult challenges of the project came near its end: she was chosen by her team to make the final presentation – and she had become ill. She wasn’t sure she was up to the task.

“I wasn’t feeling well, but I was the one who was chosen to make the presentation,” she said. “I knew that members of my team had worked very hard and were grateful to be there. They were counting on me.”

So, Marianna added, “regardless of how I felt, I knew it was very important to do my best to make the project shine. It was like selling a project. I knew that once I got through with the presentation, I could rest and get well.”

Marianna successfully made the presentation, and the project was well received.

What one word would she use to describe the project and its outcome?

“Dream,” she said.

“Dream, because our wish was that the project and its results would help many people for a long time,” she added.