The Guatemala Project is dedicated to bettering the lives of Guatemalan citizens of limited means, primarily in the areas of shelter, food security, health services, and educational support.
Housing
Food
health
education
Working to provide housing that is safe, weather-resistant, and sustainable; for those who do not have the means.
Bringing much-needed nutritious food to neighborhoods and communities where hunger is a major issue.
Striving to bring preventative measures, wellness visits, and follow-up care to people (particularly children) in need.
Providing resources necessary for school attendance and success; including books, uniforms, materials, and other supplies.
TO ACCOMPLISH THESE TASKS,OUR EFFORTS FOCUS ON THREE AREAS:
Recruiting service-based teams of people from the USA and other countries to travel to Guatemala to provide hands-on improvement for the people of Guatemala.
Providing opportunities to financially support families through sponsorship. The resources provided go toward providing what is needed for a particular family of limited means.
Matching donors and causes to fill in the gaps where other financial means may be lacking.
service teamS:
Service Teams are the biggest and most direct means of support for the organization and its mission. Teams typically spend 10-14 days in Guatemala, with four of those spent building a house for a family in need. Other activities can include such activities as visiting a destitute, mountainous village surrounded by a coffee farm to provide lunch and play with the children, giving away clothing or food to families in need, and so much more. The itineraries are customized to each team, to ensure that all needs of each team are met efficiently.
Imagine...
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Building a house in four days and handing the key to the door to a family who has never had the security of a safe, dry place to live.
Visiting a poverty-stricken neighborhood, and watching as a line of dozens of people comes to eat a lunch that you have helped prepare for them.
Finding the perfect pair of sparkly pink shoes for a four-year-old Guatemalan girl and seeing her dance away proudly with her new "feet".
Salsa dancing, hiking up a volcano, and traveling to Lake Atitlán, one of the world's "Most Beautiful Lakes".
Living in a homestay with a Guatemalan family, and eating a great dinner of pollo, arroz y frijoles. (Chicken, rice and beans).
Stretching yourself in ways you never imagined... physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Here is how you go from a hole in the ground to handing over the keys to a new home in just 4 days:
Here is the Service Team experience through the eyes of a high school student:
sponsor a child
In Guatemala, sponsors are called "padrinos" or "madrinas", or Godparents. Be that special person for someone who lives miles away, but who is or will soon be in your heart. By sponsoring a child for as little as $35 per month, your financial support goes directly toward the bettering of the life of a child and their family's development.
How your money helps:
Necessities for School: tuition, books, uniforms, and other supplies and materials.
Food and Nutrition: Many times the children are undernourished, as their family may live on less than two dollars per day.
Clothing: As a child grows quickly, they often need bigger clothes. This can become a prohibitive expense for families in need.
Medical Visits: Regular checkups with the doctor and dentist, as well as vision and hearing screening.
Miscellaneous Needs: Because of regular staff visits with the families, they know what the child or the family may need. Your financial support allows the staff to respond quickly to those changing needs
Becoming a Sponsor (Godparent)
With your monthly contribution of $35.00 per month, sponsoring a Guatemalan child demonstrates love. Through this act, your godchild will experience the important sense of personal worth, they will know they are loved and valued by someone beyond their immediate families. When you sponsor a child you can be part of their lives.
Once your sponsorship starts, you will receive information and updates about their development.