Adding A New Mayan Community

One of the difficult things about working with the Mayans in Guatemala is having budget constraints. In other words, we only have enough money to do so much, no matter how great the need. Hence the reason I go around begging people like you for money. Combined with the fact that I believe people are blessed when they give from their abundance.

These pictures represent what we are forced to think about before we agree to take on another of the 25 Mayan communities waiting for our services. All these folks are from the community of Tocache. We recently added them as one of our communities.

We will do a lunch program 3 days a week for the 60 elementary school kids and the 49 mamas and tots. That is 109 people. Kids Against Hunger is partnering with us on this, but we still add veggies, chicken, beans and eggs to the menus. Then if we come across an infant with failure to thrive we will add formula or a tot with no growth we will add incaparina. We are not going to routinely give out formula and incaparina to this community, but feed the mamas and tots more regularly and hope that takes care of the malnourishment issues we deal with.

While assessing this community, I discovered the little girl in the picture peeking in the classrooms with a defintie longing to learn in her eyes. When I investigated, I found she had graduated 6th grade, but had no money to go  to middle school. Investigating further I found there were 10 children who had to drop out of school because of money so 6th grade was as far as they could go.

The woman washing her hair was shown to us by a concerned relative. This woman was born cognitively disabled and has not had the opportunity or money for physical or speech therapies. She can not speak plainly so does not speak at all. Nor can she walk. She was raped 6 years ago and has a 5 year old daughter.

Eventually all the medically fragile people in the community will be brought to us to help. We know this ahead of time so must plan for it financially. Sometimes we just count on you good people coming forth with the funds when the need arises.
Please give what you can, so we can when the need arises. Our paypal button works for financial donations as does a check. Write me for an address for material ones.

We are starting a monthly fundraising conf. call if you want to be part of our fundraising team, write for the number for the call

thanks for what you do; I find it hard to say no when I am looking them in the eye

Vicki
20.vicki@gmail.com