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| January 2012 NEWS A year ago, Casa Guatemala was in a dire state. The economic crisis around the world was taking its toll on the amount of donations coming in; the amount of people staying at Hotel Backpackers; and the amount of volunteers that were coming to help. The situation was bleak, and there was serious talk as to whether or not the organization would have to shut its doors indefinitely. Luckily, with the same perseverance that has allowed her to build Casa Guatemala into what it is today, Angie was able to rally the forces from around the world and bring in the funds needed to continue this important work. As the world continues to be faced with economic and environmental hardships, Casa Guatemala humbly pushes forward with their work to ensure that the 250 children in their care are equipped with a good education and strong values when they go out on their own and make a life for themselves. Perhaps you have read in the news, about the current situation in Guatemala. So many young people are being pulled into the drug trade as it continues to seep down from Mexico and take a strong hold over entire communities, not that far from where Casa Guatemala is located. Thousands flee every year, risking their lives to get get across the border into the United States. Many never make it. Gangs take in hundreds of youth in the cities every year, swaying them with riches and power. It’s a harsh reality to face for the youth of Guatemala; which is why the work of Casa Guatemala is invaluable and needs to continue.
As individual donations have become less consistent, Casa Guatemala has been reaching out to other corporations and foundations for support that will ensure greater financial sustainability into the future. One of these new relationships is with MAPFRE, an insurance company from Spain who donated €35,000 for the school and food for the children. Other organizations that have helped this year include Child Vision, who have invested in a new water treatment system and Sharing the Dream who have raised funds for the extension of the clinic to better serve the surrounding communities. Things are moving forward thanks to the help of these organizations and many others including Caring and Sharing, who have been dedicated to supporting Casa Guatemala for decades. This year Caring and Sharing donated over £10,000 to Casa Guatemala which has helped to fund the education of the children and their care and wellbeing. All of these investments are seeing returns in the form of the happiness of the children. Their smiling faces remind us of why this work needs to continue. This year there are 24 students in high school and 2 studying in university! Elmer is in his first year of studying law and Axel is in his 6th year of medical school. Josue and Oliver will be graduating high school at the end of the month and look to continue their studies in computer programing. Maria has one year left before she will be a certified preschool teacher. And the grade 6 graduating class will mean that even more kids will be in high school next year. There will be even more funding needed for 2012 to cover the expenses of the outside schooling and transportation and Casa Guatemala will have to work even harder to ensure that they are able to provide the best future possible for the children in their care.
Thousands
of children have come through the doors of Casa Guatemala and gone on
to lead productive lives. The 14 rural communities that Casa Guatemala
serves now see higher literacy rates and an amazing increase in the amount
of girls who receive an education. This has greatly increased the quality
of life for people who live in extreme poverty. All over Rio Dulce, you
find hard working people that have gotten to where they are because of
the education they got at Casa Guatemala. Thanks to the help of many,
they are able to continue their work. 2012 will mark the 25th anniversary
of the children’s village in Rio Dulce. The organization would never
have made it this far without the thousands of donors and volunteers from
around the world who have invested their time and money in this cause.
Hopefully, 2012 will bring continued success for Casa Guatemala in all
their efforts. But they need our help to ensure this is the case.
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In
this last year, things have gotten better at Casa Guatemala thanks to
the help of many. They have been very thankful for the continued support
of PERENCO, an international oil and gas company that is committed to
making a positive impact in the communities near where they work. PERENCO
donates over $5000 in food every month, but this year they have reached
out even further to supply the organization with a new computer lab! This
initiative means that the children will be much better equipped for the
world outside the children’s village with computer skills that will
help them in their future studies and in the work place. Of course, you
can’t have computers without power! PERENCO has not only supplied
all the materials needed, the construction of the classroom itself and
the salary of a teacher, they have also provided an invertor, and batteries
that will not only supply electricity to the computer room but also for
the kitchen, office, clinic and the children’s houses. This will
mean much less in fuel costs for the diesel generator that the Casa relies
on as their only source of power.
Christmas
is fast approaching and with it comes the bulk of expenses Casa Guatemala
is faced with throughout the year. There are the staff bonus’ and
vacation pay, the school inscription for all of the high school children,
the materials for the upcoming school year and of course, the cost of
the Christmas celebration. Though Casa Guatemala has been fortunate so
far this year, they still need a lot of help to make it through to the
end of the year and start off 2012 with a positive balance in the accounts.