Amazing Guatemalan Run Centers Creating Jobs, Providing Opportunities for Children, Families and the Indigenous Community
If you are like us at the 100% Volunteer GAF Organization, we feel that we have been blessed with a life that includes a home, access to school, clean water and opportunities for work and a self-supporting future. We have seen firsthand in Guatemala that most, if not all of these things are out of reach for much of the indigenous and general population.
With severe malnutrition of approximately 50 percent of the indigenous children and minimal opportunities for education beyond age 10 and decent employment, Guatemalans are fleeing their country. Most do NOT want to leave their families, and the land they love, but they do not have free high school, or meal support or food stamps, and many cannot provide basic needs for themselves or their families. If they have medical needs the situation can be even worse. They want an education, they want jobs, they want to stay.
GAF has chosen to support the Association to Eradicate Poverty (AEP) and Fatima's child protection, education, and family support and outreach programs. Current programs supported include a community center in the indigenous Sololá region by San Jose Chacaya. This center includes but is not limited to a small clinic, library, classes and malnutrition prevention programs. They also provide full family and individual counseling if helpful to help break patterns that may be limiting the families' opportunities or awareness for better health, educational and employment. The Guatemalan directors and staff are all are deeply integrated into their communities and committed to supporting programs with positive and impactful change that absolutely result in long term success for women, children and families.
Adults and children earn the support by participating in programs and/or classes or work that improve their situation. Jobs in programs provide fair pay, and children can earn support for their entire family by consistently staying in school and getting the school support when needed to be successful. There are no handouts. Services include nutritional support, counseling, dental, psychological and medical checkups for the extended family. The very successful parental training courses in Guatemala City (The Parenting School) and in the rural Department of Solola is also supported by GAF.
Current new projects include an organic farm, eco-social tourism trips for sustainable income sources, a treated water well with storage and solar pump, as well as a plan to purchase and preserve threatened native land that includes four indigenous ceremonial sites, native wildlife and threatened forest habitat. This area is listed among the top 10 most diverse habitats in the world and it is constantly being destroyed. The Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurial Program & Cooperative Day Care are also developing.
We look at your donations as investments in futures for Guatemalans, as well as protection of their land, culture and people. Just like a scholarship you are passing your great fortune on to others that need funding to help secure a future in their own country.
See the multi-phase projects and existing successful programs on our webpage www.guatemalaaidfund.org
Recurring donations are by far the most helpful and allow families to rise up and move on creating room for new children and families to access life changing opportunity. You can choose which program you wish to donate to from our tabs.
Thank you for considering these Guatemalan Run programs that change lives for generations for your Charitable Giving!