The meaning of water: For Guillermo Sanchez, giving water is not just about saving lives. It’s about helping people reclaim their inherent dignity

People in the Red Vest

“I was always told that water is life,” says Guillermo Sanchez, a water, sanitation and hygiene specialist for the Panamanian Red Cross who lives and works in the Darien Gap, a stretch of undeveloped jungle that connects South and Central America. “But I never really appreciated what that meant until I was able to see water really save the lives of people coming out of the Darien Gap.” This roadless, lawless and hilly forest on the border between Colombia and Panama is now one of the world’s most used, and most dangerous, routes for people seeking a better life. When people finally make it through, they’re exhausted, dehydrated and covered with mud. That’s when water takes on even more meaning. “Just having a clean shower means people can feel like themselves again; they can reclaim themselves, their dignity.”