Education Guatemala Project #12282

Educate 300 Guatemalan Children

by The GOD'S CHILD Project

Project Report | Jan 27, 2017
Thanks to YOU Carmeli and her two siblings are in school

By Rina Lazo | Director of Benefactor Services

Carmeli and her little brother outside their home

Because of the long civil war in Guatemala as well as the poor economy many adults were unable to go to school growing up and their lack of education makes it difficult to find a steady, well-paid job. These families then struggle to provide an education to their own children creating a cycle of poverty. Thanks to you we are able to break that cycle by providing low-income children with two nutritious meals a day and, most importantly, an education.

One of these children that your donations have helped provide an education and a future for is Carmeli a sweet 9 year old little girl who is in 2nd grade at the Dreamer Center. She lives with her parents and 3 siblings in Ciudad Vieja just outside of Antigua, Guatemala. Carmeli's family was going through a very tough time with both of her parents out of work and to make matters worse her father was struggling with alcoholism. The family had no way to pay for their children to continue to go to school but understood the importance of an education so they came to the GOD'S CHILD Project seeking help. Carmelí and her two older siblings were immediately enrolled at the Dreamer Center school while her youngest brother will be enrolled once he is old enough to attend school.

When Carmeli first came to the Project she struggled with a learning disability and had speech problems but thanks to the quick intervention of the GOD'S CHILD Project she was given the necessary therapy and now she has improved in her classes and in her personal relationships. All three children continue to study hard in school so that they can reach their goal of becoming professionals and support their family someday. Carmeli´s father also attended therapy for his alcoholism which he now has under control allowing him to better support his family financially and emotionally.

Please help us continue to provide Carmeli and her siblings with the most important tool in overcoming poverty, an education. Your generous contribution today will provide the continued education of those who need it most helping them to break the bitter chains of poverty.

With gratitude,

Rina Lazo

Director of Benefactor Services

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Oct 30, 2016
Clara needs your help!

By Rina Lazo | Director of Benefactor Services

Clara's smile shows her gratitude for your support

Thank you so much for your past support of our Dreamer Center elementary school! Because of generous donors like you, low-income Guatemalan children are given the opportunity to go to school. The education that they receive will allow them to get a decent job earning a living wage when they grow up so that they can provide for themselves and their families and don't always have to depend on handouts.

Let me tell you about one of our students, Clara, and how your support and the work of The GOD'S CHILD Project is helping her to overcome the difficulties that life has thrown her way. Clara is a bright young girl who has faced more difficulties in her 10 years than many of us will face in a lifetime. Her story is marked by mourning and domestic violence. Clara's mother was involved in a gang which lead to her murder in Guatemala City and her father is currently serving 30 years in prison for murder in an unrelated crime. Clara was left orphaned at 5 years old and since then her grandmother, Lidia, has been caring for her even though she has a hard time finding work due to her old age.

Clara and her grandmother receive little help from their other family members since they have their own families to look after and struggle to provide for them. Clara has not only lived in poverty without her parents but she has also suffered from problems with her uncles that have reached the level of abuse. Having witnessed this mistreatment of her granddaughter, Lidia came to The GOD'S CHILD Project seeking help. Clara was enrolled in our school and receives psychological support as well as medical care from the Project and Lidia receives fruits and vegetables to help care for Clara. The Project also provides psychological care and legal support to other members of their family.

Clara is a very active and smart girl but she has learning and behavioral issues because of all that she has been through. According to her grandmother Clara's parents fought a lot when she was a baby. Their shouts would cause her to cry and then they would turn their anger on her. Clara's grandmother and the Project have worked hard to provide a stable, positive environment for her to grow up and learn in so that she can improve her self-esteem and focus better on her studies.

Clara is now in 4th grade and loves to play soccer. Her favorite class is math and she hopes to be a nurse when she grows up so that she can care for people.

Please join us in supporting Clara as she continues to heal along with other children like her who have been abused and orphaned. Every child we provide with an education helps us move towards breaking the bitter chains of poverty for their families, giving them hope for a brighter future.

With Gratitude,

Rina Lazo

Director of Benefactor Services

Clara enjoys playing on the school playground

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Aug 5, 2016
From parking cars to the classroom

By Rina Lazo | Director of Donations

Damaris and Ana are originally from Guatemala City and have suffered a lot in their short lives. Their father, who is from Honduras, was very aggressive and used drugs and alcohol. He did not have a steady job and instead spent his time stealing and would arrive home high on drugs and would abuse Damaris and Ana as well as their mother. Later he decided to return to his country leaving his family abandoned and with no means to survive.

After they were abandoned the mother of the family became part of a group of extortionists which put her daughters at risk. In March of 2012 she participated in an armed attack on a taxi for which she was arrested and sentenced to 14 years of prison for attempted homicide. The girls were then left in the care of their grandmother though they suffered from many psychological problems due to all they had seen.

In October of 2014 their grandmother passed away from diabetes and since then the girls have been cared for by their grandfather who works very hard washing cars and doing some construction work. He earns very little, barely enough to survive, however he has dedicated himself to caring for his granddaughters.

While he was working washing cars the girls would work helping him park the cars instead of attending school and were exposed to all sorts of abuse in the streets. In September of 2015 one of the directors of Asociación Nuestros Ahijados saw the girls working and decided to tell the grandfather about the services offered by the Project and encouraged him to seek help there.

Since then the social work and legal department have been working on the girls’ case. They were given psychological and medical care as well as food and they were enrolled in the Dreamer Center school so that they could get an education.

The girls’ lives have changed completely thanks to donors like you. Now instead of working the girls go to school and their grandfather has peace of mind knowing that his granddaughters are in good hands where they receive food and education helping them to break the bitter chains of poverty so that they have a better present and will have a better future.

Please consider making another donation to help support Damaris, Ana and other children with similar situations so that they can get off the streets and into classrooms.

With Gratitude,

Rina Lazo

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